The Last Knight: Altered
by Wacko12
Summary: Sequel to "Age of Extinction: Altered" Three years have passed since Optimus left, conflict still occurs between humans, Autobots and Decepticons. But now, a new threat approaches, and with it, secrets and revelations too. Lines will be drawn, allegiances will be shattered, and the fate of both humanity and Cybertronians will hang in the balance. Be sure to review and no flames!
1. List of Transformers

**This is the list of Transformers that will be featured in the story. Again, it won't reveal the fate of each one, as that would ruin the surprise, and others might only be introduced in flashbacks. Also, the sparklings will have names, but they will be introduced later. Be sure to leave a review!**

 **Autobots:**

Optimus Prime

Bumblebee

Ironhide

Ratchet

Jazz

Sideswipe

Cliffjumper

Prowl

Jolt

Skids

Mudflap

Ultra Magnus

Arcee

Elita-1

Chromia

Perceptor

Skyhammer

Mirage

Wheeljack

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Steeljaw

Camshaft

Hound

Drift

Crosshairs

Grimlock

Swoop

Slug

Sludge

Snarl

Scorn

Slash

Cogman

Sqweeks

Hot Rod

Canopy

Daytrader

Air Raid

Silverbolt

Breakaway

Warpath

Omega Supreme

Brains

Wheelie

Rewind

Evac

Fixit

Roller

Armorhide

Inferno

Guzzle

Windcharger

Longarm

Salvage

Brawn

Grindcore

Trench

Wingblade

Clocker

Sunstreaker

Bob

Trailbreaker

Whirl

Smokescreen

Highbrow

Kup

Tomahawk

Scattershot

Blazemaster

Stratosphere

Hoist

Cosmos

Breacher

Depthcharge

Sea Spray

Beachbreak

Hubcap

Dune Runner

Knock Out

Signal Flare

Strongarm

Skyblast

Ramhorn

Landmine

Dion

Hot Spot

First Aid

Blades

Streetwise

Groove

Rook

Defensor

Nova Prime

Rollbar

Springer

Gears

 **Decepticons:**

Megatron

Barricade

Shockwave

Soundwave

Starscream

Blackout

Brawl

Bonecrusher

Fracture

Wreckage

Stockade

Overcast

Fearswoop

Onslaught

Mohawk

Nitro Zeus

Hooligan

Berserker

Sideways

Long Haul

Blademaster

Laserbeak

Rumble

Vortex

Swindle

Payload

Dreadwing

Skywarp

Thundercracker

Slipstream

Sunstorm

Ramjet

Dirge

Thrust

Acid Storm

Nacelle

Hotlink

Bitstream

Dropkick

Cyclonus

Motormaster

Drag Strip

Breakdown

Wildrider

Dead End

Incinerator

Terradive

Macerator

Wildfire

Divebomb

Mindwipe

Brimstone

Tidal Wave

Storm Surge

Jetstorm

Blast Off

Oil Slick

Bludgeon

Reverb

Dirt Boss

Hardtop

Ransack

Tankor

Hailstorm

Space Case

Astrotrain

Scowl

Flatline

Blitzwing

Lugnut

Gunbarrel

Kickback

Skystalker

Overkill

Trample

Tread

Ruination

Smolder

Icepick

Steamhammer

Bombshock

Mudslinger

Sledge

Windburn

Darkstream

Over-Run

Undertow

Vehicons

 **Star Seekers:**

Switchblade

Duststorm

Conduit

Shellshock

Deadheat

Mismatch

Astraea

Derail

Hotwire

Rampart

Diabla

Firebreaker

Pandemic

Meltdown

Front-Line

Catapult

Anomaly

Macro

Sparkscape

Doubletake

Showdown

Ripraw

Overclock

Triage

Monsoon

Outsider

Swagger

Cameo

Pitstop

Bombast

Vectorium

Contagion

Rollcage

Breackneck

Tomb

Snow Cat

Clear Cut

 **The Dynasty of Primes (Mentioned):**

Prima

Vector Prime

Alpha Trion

Solus Prime

Nexus Prime

Megatronus Prime (The Fallen)

Onyx Prime

Alchemist Prime

Quintus Prime

Logos Prime

Micronus Prime

Amalgamous Prime

Liege Maximo

Omega Prime

Zeta Prime

Sentinel Prime

 **Knights of Iacon:**

Dragonstorm

Stormreign

Dragonicus

Steelbane

 **Others:**

Quintessa

Infernocus

Thunderwing

Elphaorpha

Rartorata

Drancron

Jhiaxus

Straxus

Megabolt

Scourge/Nemesis Prime

Primus

Unicron


	2. Past, Escape and Discoveries

**(England, the Dark Ages)**

Across the surrounding land, the sounds of battle could be heard. What was once a vast, green grass field, was now covered in scorch earth, broken wagons, scattered weapons, flames and smoke, and countless corpses. Hundreds of men were still clashing upon this burnt and blood-soaked battlefield. One side were the brave knights of England, led by their courageous and noble King Arthur of Camelot in defense of their homeland. The other side were the Saxons, warriors from across the sea, coming to plunder these lands, something that Arthur and his knights would not allow. And it was clear, as flaming boulders and arrows flew in the air, metal and wood clashing with one another, that the knights were being pushed back.

From a top of a mountain that overlooked the battlefield, several men, garbed in silver armor and riding on white horses watched the battle. In the center was King Arthur himself, his legendary sword Excalibur strapped to his waist. The knights with him were the twelve Knights of the Round Table, the finest warriors of England and Arthur's most trusted comrades. All of them had grim looks.

"Where is that bloody wizard?" A knight on Arthur's left asked. Anger and grief could be heard in his voice.

"He will be here, Lancelot. Have faith." Arthur said. He watched as his countrymen were fighting and dying across the battlefield. "I know it, Merlin will not let us down."

"My King" A dark-skinned Knight said. "I would lay down my life for you. But this 'wizard' Merlin, is a farce, an imposter. He will not come, let alone give us aid!"

"Tristan is right, Arthur!" A brown-haired knight yelled. "Merlin is nothing more than a drunkard! And the Saxons outnumber us ten to one. We must retreat and fight another day."

"No!" Arthur shouted, startling his knights and making the horses neigh a little. Dismounting his horse, the king of England pulled out Excalibur and drove it into the ground. "Without sacrifice, there can be no victory. How can we call ourselves knights if we run away, while the enemy does as he pleases with our people? Merlin will be here, or I will face the enemy alone if I have too!"

At that moment, something odd happened. The armor and weapons of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table began to glow, shimmering brightly then ever. Before they could even ponder this, a great roar caught their attention, as well as the other combatants across the battlefield. This roar was not of a man, nor a horse, or any other creature that Arthur had seen before. This one was full of power. A shadow soon engulfed Arthur and when the King looked up, he was shocked at what he saw.

Flying over him and his knights was a large, three-headed dragon. Its body was entirely grey and metallic, and its huge wings released powerful gusts every time they moved. All three of the dragon's heads unleashed powerful torrent of flames, consuming the Saxons. Its talons tore through the earth, its tail swatted enemies and catapults aside, and its mighty wings sent more Saxons flying. And yet, the dragon did not strike the Englishmen. At that moment, Arthur realized what was happening.

"Merlin has given us aid!" Arthur shouted as he got onto his horse. Raising his sword, Arthur cried, "Onward! For Camelot!"

"For Camelot!" His knights shouted as they charged towards the battle.

With the aid of the dragon, the knights of Camelot cut down the Saxons. What was more, every time someone tried to harm Arthur or the Round Table Knights, the weapons would merely bounce off their armor. Also, Arthur's Excalibur would cut through any defenses, whether it be shields or armor. Above, the mighty dragon continued slaughtering dozens of Saxons at a time. In a short matter of time, the Saxon army had been slaughtered, the survivors fleeing in fear.

Sometime after the battle, Merlin came trotting through the battlefield, riding on his horse towards Arthur. In his hand was an intricate and beautifully crafted staff.

"My king." The wizard said to Arthur, who was back on his horse.

"Merlin" Arthur replied, a tired but happy smile on his face. "On behalf of Camelot and all of England, I thank you. You've saved us and our people. We owe you a great debt."

The bearded wizard shook his head. "It is not I you should be indebted too, but to them." Merlin said as he pointed his staff.

The direction he pointed towards was where the three-headed dragon stood. Before Arthur and the knights' very eyes, the dragon's form began to shift. In a few seconds, where was once large mighty dragon, were now twelve giant metal warriors, each one wielding weapons. The towering titans resembled like knights.

Merlin smirked as he looked at the gob smacked expression of Arthur and his men. "These are my dear friends, the Knights of Iacon." Merlin introduced.

Arthur regained his bearings, and looked at the wizard. "They are not from this world, are they?"

"No, no they are not." Merlin replied.

 **(Unknown Time, Cybertron)**

Across the barren surface of the dying planet, an orange and blue mech was running frantically, with several Cybertronian corpses lying on the ground behind him. He had a plasma cannon, smoke rising from the barrel after having been used so many times. The mech's body was covered in wounds, burn marks could be seen, as well as sparks coming off damaged parts. A trail of energon went down his mouth, but the Cybertronian ignored all this, focused on reaching his destination and protecting the object he held. The mech just entered a valley when he heard shouts.

"There he is!" A voice yelled. Above the orange and blue mech were three more Cybertronians. The bulkiest was a black and orange mech. With him was a green and yellow mech, as well as a purple and black mech. The former brought out a mace and rushed the target, while the others readied their plasma cannons. "Surrender, Dion!"

The large mech swung his mace at the named Dion, who stepped to the side and dodged it. Dion brought out a gauntlet over each hand and lunged at his larger opponent. The mech had no time to react when Dion slammed both his gauntlet-covered fists at his face, smashing it into pieces.

"Breakneck!" The purple and black mech cried as he watched the large mech's body hit the ground.

"Focus, Tomb!" The green and yellow mech yelled. "You attack him from the right and I'll go to the left.

Tomb nodded as he and his comrade fired at Dion, trying to pin him. Dion pulled out his shotgun and fired back. He blasted some rocks under the green and yellow mech, making him lose his footing. Then, he fired at Tomb, hitting the purple and black mech in the left arm, blowing it off. Tomb could only give a short scream before Dion fired another plasma bolt through Tomb's chest.

As the other mech began to get up, he was knocked down again when Dion, in his car mode, rammed into him. Dion then transformed and pinned the green and yellow mech beneath him. "Stand down, Clear Cut! I don't want to kill a fellow Autobot!" Dion shouted furiously.

Clear Cut growled. "I'm not a damn Autobot! Not anymore!" He declared as he tried to raise his right arm and fire at Dion.

Dion saw this, though, and immediately grabbed the arm and ripped it off, green energon spraying everywhere. He brought up his right fist and prepared to finish off Clear Cut when a sound caught his attention. A high speed moving projectile struck near where the two mechs were, and created a large explosion that blew away rocks and dust.

From a top a nearby mountain, stood another Cybertronian. This one was far bigger than the other four mechs. He possessed smooth, silver and purple colored armor, along with silver claws and purple feet. The mech had a yellow face, with a silver helm over it. His optics were a dark purple and he had fangs too. Attached to his back were large, slightly retracted, silver wings, with purple turbines on them. Currently, a four-barreled cannon was sticking out of his chest before retracting back inside.

"I wonder if that killed him? Well, so long as the object he was carrying is unharmed, that's all that matters." The mech thought before transforming into a large, Cybertronian shuttlecraft and then flew towards where Dion was. Now, though, there was a large crater as the silver purple mech landed, transforming back into robot mode. Ignoring the corpses of Breakneck and Tomb, the mech made his way over to find a sign of Dion's body. However, all he saw were the broken remains of Clear Cut, which were only the mech's head, and a portion of his chest. But there was no sign of Dion. "Did he escape the blast?" Wondered the towering mech. His optics did not see the narrow passageway within the valley, nor Dion as he made his way through it. The orange blue mech was clutching his wounded chest, energon dripping out of it.

"Thunderwing…" Dion cursed as he finally exited the valley. Waiting for him was a Cybertronian assault carrier. Ignoring his injuries, Dion slowly made his way into the craft and activated its systems. "Engage auto-pilot. Set coordinates to planet Earth." Dion ordered weakly as he settled in.

The carrier's systems glowed in response and began taking off. As Dion felt the thrusters engaging, he opened a special subspace, meant to hold a certain object. Said object as a talisman that barely covered Dion's palm. "Have…to get…to Orion and…Ariel…" He muttered as the carrier left Cybertron's atmosphere.

 **(Present Time, Solar System)**

Beings believe that Cybertronians are split between Autobots and Decepticons. However, there were those who did not pick a side, and they were promptly called Neutrals. Among the Neutrals there are usually two types. The first and largest are Cybertronians that chose neither faction, refusing to take part the war, instead leaving their homeworld and finding other planets to live in peace. Many of them form groups to better protect themselves from threats and keep their race going. The second type are individuals considered too dangerous for either side, and are usually left alone to do as they pleased. These Cybertronians were rare, as they would become a danger to the rest of their kind and would be terminated quickly.

As the war continued to stretch on, though, a third type of Neutrals was born. This type consisted of Cybertronians that were once Autobots or Decepticons, having decided to defect from their respective faction. The reasons differed among individuals; some could no longer handle the war that killed their world and nearly brought their race to extinction, while others decided to strike out on their own and form their own faction. This category fitted with the Cybertronians aboard the warship Longshot, currently hovering over the planet Jupiter.

Once a part of the Decepticon armada, this vessel was now commanded by the Star Seekers, Cybertronians that could best be described as scavengers, raiders, pirates. These Cybertronians banded together to survive by any means necessary, even if that meant raiding resources of other inhabitant worlds. With their planet now dead and no home to call their own, the Star Seekers would travel the universe and take what they needed to live. Originally consisting of former Decepticons, other Cybertronians that were neutral to begin with soon joined, and later Autobots too. Old wounds between these former enemies now forgotten in the common interest of survival binding them together.

At the Longshot's command center, there were several Cybertronians working. Standing on a separate platform that overlooked the room was the ship's captain, as well as the leader of the Star Seekers, Switchblade. A former Decepticon commander, the blue and golden flyer decided to strike out on his own sometime around Megatron's first death. Switchblade showed no interest in serving a leader who abandoned his forces, and he refused to serve Starscream. With his entire unit agreeing with him, Switchblade commandeered the Longshot and took off, taking many weapons, energon and other supplies with him before looting worlds.

Hearing the command center's door slid open, Switchblade turned around. Walking through was a green and black, white stripped mech. This was Anomaly, a former Autobot soldier/scientist and now serving as Switchblade's second-in-command. Like the former Decepticon, Anomaly grew tired of fighting, what he saw, a pointless war, and ignored Optimus's universal-wide message. Instead, he and several other Autobots, defected and eventually joined the Star Seekers. Seeing the potential, as well as the similar interest in the young mech, Switchblade decided to make Anomaly his lieutenant. It also helped show that there was no ill will between the two defectors, each from warring factions.

"We've still tried to make communication, but have gotten no word from Lockdown or his crew." Anomaly reported as he stood beside Switchblade. "It looks like you were right, he's been offline."

The former Decepticon grunted, annoyed. "I should've figured that Lockdown would fail. Bounty hunter or not, such a mission should've been given to soldiers such as us." Switchblade commented.

"Don't you mean former soldiers?" Anomaly asked jokingly. "Because I'm pretty sure most would consider this line of work as piracy."

The aerial Cybertronian ignored the comment. "Either way, we shall complete the task that Lockdown failed to do. Prepare to head towards Earth." Switchblade ordered the crew.

Suddenly one of the crewmembers, a femme with a cerulean, black and cyan colored armor, spoke up. "Switchblade, sir. We're detecting a weak energon signature near us, just passing the planet." The femme reported.

"Is it Lockdown, Astraea?" Switchblade asked the femme.

"I can't tell. But whoever they are, they are not flying in a ship and appear to be floating adrift. Probably in stasis lock." Astraea replied.

Switchblade rubbed his chin, wondering what it could be. Deciding to take a chance, "Lock onto it and zoom in." He ordered.

Astraea did as she was told and began focusing the ship's scanners on the energon source. It took a few minutes, but eventually an image of the object came up on the big screen. What they saw made the Star Seekers opened their mouths and widened their optics in shock.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"No way. What's he doing all the way out here?"

"But that's definitely him. I remember seeing him before he left for Earth."

"Talk about good fortune."

The object, or person, on the screen was none other than Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader's body was frozen in ice. His form unmoving, with his optics dark and lifeless. He continued drifting through space, floating aimlessly.

"It really is Optimus Prime." Anomaly said as he stared at the image of his former leader. "Why's he out here in space?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." Commented Switchblade. "But this just makes things for easier us. Send a team out and bring him aboard. Make sure his weapons are removed before reactivating him. Then, set a course for Cybertron."

 **And there is chapter two. FYI, the Star Seeker members are Autobots and Decepticons from the cancelled Transformers Universe game. Anyway, be sure to review.**


	3. The New World

**Be sure to leave a review!**

Journal Entry 58431 of Autobot Security Officer and Lieutenant, Prowl

It has been three Earth years since the battle at the human city, Hong Kong, followed by Optimus Prime's departure to locate the mysterious 'creators'. In his absence, I have taken command of the Autobots under me, with Jazz, Ironhide and Bumblebee assisting me. I felt inclined to hand leadership to Elita-1, as she is Optimus' sparkmate, and had equal experience as I did. But she insisted I take command, so she and her sisters may tend to the hatchlings, who are now sparklings.

During those years, Cybertronian and human relations have deteriorated even more. Deemed outlaws, a new human paramilitary, known as the Transformers Reactionary Force, has been formed and is now hunting down all Cybertronians, regardless of factions. Unfortunately, many of the members were once a part of Cemetery Wind, well, those that were unaware of their leader's crimes. Thus, they have no problem in eliminating Autobots, as well as human allies and sympathizers. Fortunately, I had the foresight to insert a spy into their base, who has been quite useful in sending us invaluable information regarding TRF troop movements.

The only nation that grants asylum to Cybertornians is Cuba, the same country that Flak had died trying to protect from Cemetery Wind. I hear that the humans Simmons, Dutch and Leo are there, acting as representatives between the Cuban government and Autobot refugees. The refugees are split into two groups, one side consists of combatants, lead by Camshaft. The other side are scientists, engineers, medics and civilians, trying to lead a safe life with their families. They are led by an Autobot named Hubcap, who speaks on their behalf. Due to their larger numbers, I dispatched the Omnicons, Cybertronians who can touch raw energon as well as find resources that can be converted into it, to help the refugees. The three mechs, Strongarm, Skyblast, and Signal Flare, are hard at work, encountering only a few problems.

My team and I are currently in South Dakota, working alongside the human male Cade Yeager, who has proven to be a valuable ally. Together we help newly arrive Autobots get to safety, away from the TRF and surviving Decepticons, and assisting them to get to Cuba without problem. Including the members from three years ago, our ranks have been joined by other Autobots. These Cybertornians include Armorhide, an Autobot that has good grasp on Decepticon tactics, using the Cons' own thinking against them, much to the chagrin of the others. After him is Brawn, a heavy fighter with a remarkable strong armor plating. Then there is Inferno, an Autobot that function as both pyro-specialist and a psychologist, helping fellow Autobots deal with the trauma of the war. We have another member named Trench, who seems to prefer to remain in vehicle mode, content with doing security patrols. Next up, were Longarm and Salvage, two Autobots that were originally human vehicles brought to life by the Allspark during the Battle of Mission City. How they survived this long is beyond me, but they have proven trusted comrades. The last is Grindcore, one of the most recent members, as he had been held prisoner by Decepticons here on Earth. Fortunately, we had managed to rescue him before he could be offline by the Cons or TRF. He helps Wheeljack and the Wreckers with construction and engineering, with Fixit helping too.

We've also received additional flyers. Blazemaster and Tomahawk, the former a skilled bombardment expert with his corrosive gel, and the latter an anti-ground/aerial supporter, exchanging speed for firepower. The two mechs work alongside Stratosphere, one of the largest Autobots, who serves as an aerial transportation for smaller Autobots. He helps transport refugees that we find in America to Cuba, guarded by the other flyers. There are also sea specialists that help with transporting Autobots. Depthcharge prefers to work alone, but sometimes provides support for the duo, Breacher and Sea Spray.

We have seen no new sightings of Megatron since Hong Kong, or any major Decepticon incursions. I can only conclude they are in hiding, most likely preparing for their next big offensive. So far, the only action we've seen of them are small skirmishes, mostly from Cons that decide to head out on their own or from their conflict with TRF. We have been content to let them fight one another, as no Autobots wishes to be caught in the crossfire from both sides that want us dead.

Adam Nova, a Cybertronian-human hybrid, has also been staying with us too. Currently, he, Evac, Rewind and Ramhorn, a cyber-rhino, are currently in Chicago. They report that a cybertronian craft has crashed there. Also, other Cybertronians have been spotted there, staying with a human. Cade, Bumblebee and Hound left some time ago to meet up with the boy.

 **(Chicago)**

"Waste those bastards!" Adam shouted as he fired his hybrid axe-crossbow at a TRF Walker. The energy projectile struck the walker in the leg, knocking it off balance. Adam fired another shot that blew the top off.

Evac was tearing down a second walker with his hands, having dodged its weaponry. A third walker tried to fire at the blue Autobot, but was knocked off its feet by Ramhorn. The red rhino fired its hip missile launchers and plasma cannons, alongside Rewind's laser cannon. It didn't even stand a chance as the combined firepower reduced the drone to parts. With the threats down, Adam hefted his weapon over his shoulder, with his backpack.

Fifteen-years old, Adam had changed little over the past three years, minus his height. He had gotten taller thanks a growth spurt. Adam and his group had been currently searching for Izabella and her companions. With Cade coming, Adam saw this as a chance to convince the girl for her gang to come with them, where they would be safe. Unfortunately, Izabella contacted him first, saying a bunch of kids had come trespassing and were being chased by walkers used by TRF to scout the ruined city. Fortunately, Adam and the others were nearby and dealt with said walkers.

Evac was in his robot mode. Underneath his left arm was a small, blue Cybertronian who appeared to transform into a scooter. This was Sqweeks one of Izabella's friends. He had been injured for some time, being unable to transform and like Bumblebee, his voicebox had also been damaged, making the only word he could say being 'Chihuahua'.

"I'm picking up Canopy's signal. Around the corner." Evac said as Adam rode on top of Ramhorn, Rewind flying beside him.

In another area of Chicago, a building was currently being occupied by TRF soldiers. They were using the place as a forward outpost for any signs of Cybertronians. The city had become one of the most popular locations for new arrivals. Inside the outpost were former NEST operative Graham, as well as TRF commander Santos. Graham was there to keep a leash on Santos, to ensure the former Delta operator did not kill innocent Cybertronians or other mistakes.

"Sir, our drones spotted several Cybertronians near where we lost the walkers. There are some kids with them too." A technician said.

Both Graham and Santos looked at the screen. From the aerial drone, they could see Evac, Ramhorn, Rewind, Sqweeks, and Canopy, a large yellow mech who could transform into a Caterpillar 797 Dump Truck and possessed a hologram device, built by Adam.

"Shit, they're holding those kids." Santos cursed, mistaking the situation. "Can we get a team there?"

"Hold up, we don't know which side they're on." Graham said, earning a glare from the TRF soldier. The former NEST operative ignored it. "Can we get a visual on any of them? Confirm their identity."

"Affiliation don't matter." Santos spat. "They're Cybertronian and that's all. We need a response team ready." None of them noticed several robotic spiders crawling around, heading towards their equipment.

Izabella ignored the glasses wearing boy and his professing of love for her, clearly unimpressed. However, her mood brightened when she saw Adam and the others walking up towards them. But that changed quickly too, when she saw Evac carrying an injured Sqweeks. "What happened?" Izabella asked as she ran up to them. Evac had just put down the mech, allowing Izabella to examine her friend.

"One of the walkers got a good shot in. Damaged his right arm, but nothing we can't fix." Adam explained. He then looked at the four boys. "Okay, and which one of idiots had the bright idea of coming here?" Adam asked.

Automatically, three of them pointed at the fourth one, a dark-skinned young boy. The kid tried to defend himself. "Oh yeah, and what makes you much better in hanging around here?" He snorted.

"Well maybe because I have this" Adam said as he revealed his hybrid weapon, pointing it threateningly at the kid. The dark-skinned boy gulped. "And second, I have them with me." He added, pointing towards his Autobot companions. "Now, if the questions are all done, let's get you guys out of here before more of those pieces of junk come by."

"I'll take point." Evac offered. "Canopy, stay with the children."

"Got it" Canopy replied.

Meanwhile, back at the TRF outpost, the soldiers were still observing the group of Cybertronians and children. "See, they're escorting the kids out of the area. Does that look like bad guys to you?" Graham asked Santos.

Said man rolled his eyes, still not convinced. "I want our jet on station, we have no idea what faction they are. Be ready at the single sign of hostility." Santos ordered.

Graham sighed, unable to deal with this man's irrational hatred. Walking out of the outpost, the British officer contacted Lennox. Hopefully, the Colonel would be able to stop this before it got too out of hand. Again, he did not notice a machine spider climbing up a nearby table towards one of the computers.

Back with Adam's group, they were about five blocks away from the fence that separated the quarantine zone. The four kids were still talking, trying to speak to the Autobots, Adam or Izzy. In the latter's case, the glasses wearing boy tried to flirt with her, much to Izzy's annoyance. Still, it was amusing to Adam as they continued their trek.

Evac peeked around the corner, looking for anymore walkers. When he saw none, he turned back to the others. "All clear" Said Evac.

"Okay, let's keep moving." Adam said as the group moved on. As they did, Canopy started to lag behind, keeping an eye out if anyone was going to attack from their rear.

Unfortunately, for the pilot in the jet above them, that was the opening he needed. With confirmation from Santos, a missile was fired right at the large mech. Before anyone could react, Canopy let out a scream of pain as the projectile hit his back. The explosion made him crash into the nearby building before collapsing on the ground. Energon started to pour from his wounds.

"Canopy!" Izabella yelled in horror at the sight of her injured friend.

Adam cursed. He knew TRF was watching them, but didn't think they would attack so long as the Autobts remained close to the kids. The sound of large footsteps from around the block caught Adam's attention. "Damn it! Walkers heading this way! Rewind, you and Ramhorn get Izabella and the others out of here! Evac stay with me while I check on Canopy. Sqweeks hide!"

Ramhorn let out a growl before ushering the four boys out of there. Rewind pulled on Izabella's arm, who looked like she wanted to protest, but a glare from Adam made her run. Said boy ran up to Canopy, with Evac trying to help his fellow Autobot up. The yellow mech was losing energon fast, and had a gaping wound on the bottom left corner of his chest that went to his back. "Canopy, can you still use your holo-projector?" Adam asked as he put his weapon down. Sqweeks had already taken cover behind some rubble, but was still near the trio.

Coughing up some energon, Canopy managed to reply, "Y-yes…" And soon they were covered by the image of a large pile of debris and garbage. With their presence now hidden, the walkers went past them. Once they were gone, Adam placed his left hand, the mechanical one, near Canopy's wound. Taking a deep breath, the young teen's hand began to glow with electricity. Slowly, the yellow mech's injuries began to heal. At the same time, Adam took out a detonator from his pocket, and then activated it.

Back at the TRF outpost, Graham was having an arguing match with Santos, both of them outside said command center. "That was an unnecessary command to give, you dunce! What if those were Autobots? Or worse, you hit the children?!" Graham shouted angrily.

"I told you before and the rest of your NEST buddies, factions don't mean a damn! And I made sure it was far away from the kids!" Santos yelled back. "Now, I'm calling in a response team to find those other robots, and get those children out of there. You can either hang back or-"

Santos's sentence was cut off when several of his men cried. Back in the command center, Adam's robotic spiders exploded. They released small static smoke, which fried all the equipment inside the outpost. What's more, the smoke, also struck many of the soldiers, electrifying them. It didn't kill them, but it left the soldiers paralyzed and twitching on the floor.

As more personnel moved in to help the victims caught in the trap, Santos gaped at the scene. Graham was also surprised but realized this must've been the boy's, Adam Nova, doing. Reports had described the kid of being incredibly skilled with mechanics and hacking. So, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that he could pull a stunt like this. The look on Santos's face was also worth the whole mess the man caused.

Back with the kids, they hadn't gotten far. While one walker was chasing them from behind, a second one appeared right in their path. Ramhorn and Rewind readied their weapons, when suddenly the mini-con spotted a black off-road opened jeep drove up behind the first walker.

Jumping out of the vehicle was Cade, who pulled out a Cybertronian gun and a stun grenade. Cade threw the grenade, which caused the first walker to shake wildly as it tried to reboot its systems. Not giving it time, Cade fired his weapon. Pulling the trigger three times, the weapon fired energy blasts, hitting the walker. When it staggered, Rewind and Ramhorn guided the kids to Cade's jeep.

That's when Bumblebee appeared, jumping out of the wall of a nearby parking garage. Plasma cannon ready, the Autobot scout kicked the machine gun off the second walker, before ramming his fist into the first one. Pulling out the wires, Bumblebee tossed it towards its companion. He then jumped upon the second walker while it was disoriented. He delivered two powerful plasma bolts at the second walker's head, blowing it up. Bumblebee did a back flip as the walker fell. _"_ _I hate people messing with me."_

"Canopy!" Izzy yelled as she ran back to where Adam and the others were. Cade followed behind her while Bumblebee, the cyber-rhino and the mini-con watched over the kids.

Canopy's holo-projector turned off. It revealed the large mech leaning against the building, with Evac helping him stay up. With them were Adam and Sqweeks, the former catching his breath. When he spotted Izzy and Cade running towards them, Adam gave them the thumbs up. The hole in Canopy's body was gone.

"Well? How'd it go?" Cade asked the young teen.

"I managed to repair most of his parts to the point he can transform. But he should still have an actual medic look at him." Answered Adam before Izzy hugged him. She was crying tears of joy while thanking Adam repeatedly for saving her friend. The boy seemed confused, and so just settled patting her on the back.

Though amused, Cade knew they had to get moving. Bumblebee and Evac helped to move Canopy to where Hound was, followed by Ramhorn and Rewind, while Cade drove Adam, Izzy and the other kids on his jeep towards the quarantine fence. Despite having come here to save the a Cybertronian, Cade was determined to get these kids out of here. Even for Adam, this place was dangerous.

As they were getting out, one of the kids seemed to have finally recognized Cade. "Hey, you're that guy. You're like some sort of legend." He said.

Cade raised an eyebrow. "Am I?" He asked.

"In legend, you mean one of the most wanted fugitives. Yeah then you're a legend." Adam joked, getting a half-hearted glare from Cade.

The fourth kid spoke up. "You know they have a really big reward for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah"

"Well do you want to get punched in the face really hard?" Cade asked. With that, he ushered the five kids through, while Adam remained behind. Sqweeks and Izabella gave Cade a look before shifting their gaze at Adam. Said teen nodded and jerked his head to the right while Yeager wasn't looking. Izzy nodded back and took off, Sqweeks behind her.

Once that was done, Adam and Cade got back into the jeep and drove towards the stadium, where the Cybertronian had crashed. When they arrived, Cade got out while Adam remained in the jeep, acting as a lookout. Cade walked in and saw that the Cybertronian had already forced himself out of his crashed spacecraft. The orange and blue mech was greatly damaged, and Yeager had a feeling that it wasn't from the crash. He tried to steady himself, but immediately collapsed against his wreck craft.

"Hey, hey, easy there." Cade said gently, approaching the Cybertronian. The mech watched him with weary and weak optics. "It's okay, I'm a friend. I'm here to help." Assured Cade.

"Designation…Designation Dion…" The mech muttered weakly as Cade examined his wounds. "Must…must find Orion…and Ariel…danger…"

"Don't talk. I want to check you over, so, so just don't talk." Cade reassured Dion. But even as Yeager said that, he knew there was little he could do. Dion had multiple wounds over his body, including a large hole in his chest. Energon was leaking profusely from nearly every corner. And Adam hadn't fully recover from healing Canopy. Cade had a feeling that it wouldn't make a difference with Dion's current condition.

Cade lowered his head, ashamed that he couldn't do anything. "I'm sorry…" Cade said to Dion mournfully.

Dion already knew that it was too late for him, and he accepted that. However, he was still determined to complete his duty. Reaching into his subspace, Dion pulled out the talisman he had with him. "Take…it. It will protect you…keep it safe…" The mech gasped as he held the object towards Cade.

At first, Cade didn't want to take it, felt like he didn't deserve it because he couldn't save Dion. But the mech had clearly risked his life. So, with a heavy heart, Cade took the talisman and put it in his bag. "I will, I promise."

Then, Dion opened his chest. He pulled out a glowing disk from the compartment. He handed this also to Cade. "Memory core…show it to Autobots…" He begged. "Tell Orion and Ariel that…I'm…sorry…"

With those last words, the light faded from Dion's optics. His body went limp and his arms felt to his sides. Seeing this, Cade gave a moment of silence for Dion's passing before putting the memory core next to the talisman. As he began walking away, Cade contemplated on taking Dion's body with him. At the very least, he deserved a proper burial, rather then being left to rust or have TRF take his body away. But there wasn't enough time and they didn't have anything to carry him with.

As he made his way out of the stadium, Cade pulled out his radio. "Adam, Bumblebee, I'm coming out solo. He didn't make it." Cade said sadly as he walked over towards the jeep. He spotted Adam standing outside the vehicle, back facing the older man, and not moving an inch. That made Cade concern. "Adam?"

Walking closer to the teen, Cade felt eyes on him. Multiple eyes. It was made even more apparent by the three green laser dots hovering over his heart. He moved his eyes carefully to look at Adam. He too had dots focused on him too. With a mental curse, the two slowly set anything they were carrying on the ground, and then slowly while raised their hands into the air. Seconds later, several armed men and vehicles appeared to surround them. Cade and Adam took it as their cue and slowly got on their knees, with their hands put behind their heads as the soldiers closed in on them.

The door to one vehicle opened, and out stepped Santos. He had a smug look on his face as he approached the two. He stared down at them, before speaking to Adam. "Saw your little trick, kid. Not bad, shame that you're not on our side." Santos said.

The teen snorted. "If I was anything like you guys, I would've done something a lot worse for your attempt on murdering my friend." Commented Adam.

Santos ignored him, looking at Cade now. "Now, you're going to answer my questions." Ordered Santos. "Where are the others, the ones you're hiding?"

Cade glared defiantly at the former Delta Force operator. "Sorry pal. I don't sell out friends."

Snorting, Santos knelt down, so he was staring face to face with Cade. "Friends? This is an invasion! One day, when we wake up, they'll be in charge." He declared.

"If you think that, then you're no better than those idiots, Cemetery Wind." Retorted Adam. "In fact, I see some of said idiots among your goons." He added as he looked at the collected TRF soldiers. Said mentioned people shifted uncomfortably, knowing the damage their former unit had caused.

"The kid's right." Cade said. "You see anybody in charge? They just keep falling out of the sky, just trying to find a home. And something's coming, and when it does, you won't be able to shoot your way out of it. Not on your own."

Any other words were cut off when the sound of engines could be heard. Coming from both the left and right were Evac and Bumblebee respectively. The two Autobots were in vehicle mode and charging straight towards the TRF. Immediately, the TRF soldiers opened fire on the two mechs, with the mounted machine guns also firing too. Bumblebee and Evac swerved to the sides and avoid the bullets, before transforming once close enough. Bee did a roll, and knocked over a nearby SUV, sending onto its side and the gunner rolling out. Evac kicked aside another SUV, causing it to crash into a pillar, knocking out the driver and gunner in it. Then they brought out their weapons, but keeping them at low power. Bumblebee fired a non-lethal blast that sent most TRF soldiers flying, while Evac fired his wrist concussion blasters, the low-level energy bolts damaging two more SUVs, making them flip and causing soldiers to get out of the way of the falling vehicles. Swinging his arms, Evac swatted several more soldiers, while Bumblebee fired another shot that sent more flying. During that time, Adam grabbed his crossbow-axe, and knocked out a nearby TRF soldier with the flat part of the blade. Santos made to grab him, but Cade suckered punch the commander, sending him to the ground. Bumblebee then pinned the man to the ground with his plasma cannon, while Evac raised his wrist blasters at the TRF soldiers, along with Adam and Cade.

 _"I'll burn you so bad, you'll wish you died as a child"_ Bumblebee said to Santos through the radio.

"Shoot them!" Santos yelled, ignoring the cannon pointed at his chest.

Cade pointed his own gun at Santos, Adam covering him. "You'll be dead before we hit the ground, asshole."

None of that seemed to deter Santos, as he continued shouting at his men. "Shoot them now! Take the shot!"

"Nobody fire!" A familiar voice yelled.

Walking out of a newly arrived SUV was Colonel William Lennox. Following him were Graham and Robert Epps. All three former NEST members were wearing the TRF uniform. "Don't do it, Bee!" Lennox shouted to Bumblebee. Meanwhile, Graham and Epps were ordering the others to stand down. "Everyone hold your fire. Both of you. Drop it." Lennox said to Cade and Adam.

Not looking at Lennox, Cade replied, "I an't dropping shit until these guys do." Adam nodded in agreement.

Lennox took a breather before looking at Bumblebee. "Hey, the military doesn't want it this way." Bee turned his cannon towards him. "You gotta believe me, Bee. It's a new world order now, and these guys are calling the shots."

"All they want is a home, and you know it. If you push them, they'll just push right back." Cade said.

Bumblebee added to that statement by moving his cannon back towards Santos. Said man was struggling, clearly frustrated at how easily he and his men were taken down so quickly.

A loud rumbling caught their attention. Transforming, Hound, Autobot commando, appeared. He did a roll and had his tri-barrel minigun at the ready. "Whoa, looks like we got us one hell of a gun fight. Sorry for the late arrival, invitation must've gotten lost in the mail! Hope ya ready, because this round mound is gonna mow you down. Translation: sayonara, suckers." Said Hound.

The tables had clearly turned on the TRF now. With three heavily armed Autobots staring them down, there was a little chance for them to walk away in one piece. Lennox knew that and tried to calm the situation down. Cade and Adam shared a glance and knew that it was done.

"Me and my crew are walking out of here. And no one is gonna follow us, got it?" He said to Lennox.

With that, Cade lowered his weapon, picked up his bag, and made his way back to the jeep. Adam followed behind him, not before giving a mocking 'peace out' sign to Santos. As they walked away, Lennox radioed command in a negative for Decepticon targets. Meanwhile, having gotten up, Santos begrudgingly told his men to stand down.

"I believe that makes the score: Autobots: 1. TRF: 0." Evac commented as he covered his human friends.

Hound and Bumblebee followed from behind. The commando couldn't help but let one last remark in. "You sure you don't wanna shoot?" Hound taunted, banging his chest. "I'm a big ol' target. No? Wusses." He said while Bumblebee made chicken noises to the soldiers.

As the group began driving out of the No-Entry zone, Santos marched up to Lennox. Despite being shorter than the Colonel, Santos had no problem glaring at the man. "What the hell are you doing? Letting them go? They're all bad." He said.

Lennox glared at the man, while Graham and Epps helped the other soldiers with checking on the wounded. The former NEST soldier had never liked Santos. The two were always clashing over various subjects, such as whose way of commanding was better or their views on the Cybertronians. Keller had warned Lennox that this might happen, and the Colonel was prepared. That still didn't make it any less annoying. "No. Not all of them. Some of them would risk their lives for us. Others wouldn't hesitate to step on us like bugs." Lennox replied.

"Yeah, well" Santos began as he started walking off. "Don't blame me when one of those 'good robots' decides to step on you." He said as he started speaking through his radio.

Epps walked up to Lennox, his eyes on Santos's back. "You know, he may not be a former Cemetery Wind soldier, but that guy is still an asshole." Epps said to his old friend.

"Yeah, we'll just have to deal with him for now." Lennox replied before heading back to base with the rest of the TRF personnel.

As the Autobots were reaching the exit, they were joined by Canopy, now in his vehicle mode, carrying Sqweeks and secretly Izabella in his passenger seat. Unbeknownst to the group, a TRF sniper fired a tracker on Bumblebee.

 **(Later that Evening)**

The sun had begun to go down over the ruins of Chicago. Driving through the empty buildings was a black and white 2016 Ford Mustang Police Car. Upon reaching a delivery area of an old factory, the car transformed into the Decepticon Enforcer Barricade. After his injuries from Prowl three years ago, Barricade gained an entirely new body. This one was sleeker and more streamlined then his previous one. Covering his hands were a pair of brass knuckles, the words "punish" and "enslave" engraved onto them. As he walked inside the factory, Barricade activated a high-powered light on his shoulder, scanning over the darkened area.

"Lord Megatron" Barricade said.

The enforcer's lights shined over the Decepticon Leader. Megatron was sitting upon the wreckage of an old and burned out pile of cars, using it as a makeshift chair. Standing beside him was Soundwave, Laserbeak perched on the communication officer's shoulder. On his other shoulder was a black mini-con. Rumble, the twin brother of the deceased Frenzy. Like his late brother, Rumble also possessed a hyper-reactive trans-scanning and reformatting system. His alt mode, was a Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle.

When Barricade turned to face, Megatron, the Decepticon leader raised his hand when the light shined into his optics. "Get that out of my face, Barricade." Megatron ordered. Once the light was moved did he lower his hand. "Report, do you have the talisman?"

For the past three years, Megatron has been traveling across Earth. He had been examining the recent appearance of six large horns coming out. Barricade served as his field officer, delivering orders to other field teams, while Shockwave and Blackout prepared from base, organizing Megatron's main forces. The Autobots were laying low for now, only coming out when the situation demanded it, and the TRF were interfering with some of their operations. Thus, Megatron would sometimes have to come out and see to it personally. After the past four failures, the Decepticon leader was not taking any chances in trusting others on the field to complete the tasks he gave them.

Back to the present. "I saw the dying knight crash. But the Autobots reached him first and he gave the human, Yeager, the talisman. Plus, the number of TRF firepower would've made it impossible to retrieve it." Barricade responded.

Megatron growled, and he blasted a pile of cars into parts with his Fusion Cannon. "You let the talisman escape?!" He snarled. "Without it, we cannot find the staff! Cybertron approaches and we must have it before then. Soundwave, can you track the Autobots to their base?" Megatron asked his communication officer.

"Negative, Megatron. The Autobots have completely shielded their base's position." Soundwave replied. "Furthermore, their numbers would make it difficult for us to retrieve the talisman."

"Are you saying that I would fail?" Asked Megatron, raising an opticbrow.

"Negative, however, large force of Autobots would not let you leave unscathed." Explained Soundwave. "Recommend request for immediate reinforcements."

"I think I know who can help us with that." Barricade said. He tossed a car door in front of Megatron's feet. It was banged up and scratched, but the letters on it were clear. "The TRF. Over the past three years, they have captured many Decepticons. If we could find a way to barter with them, we may be able to gain their release and grant us additional forces."

Megatron thought about this. The idea did have merit, and though the thought of dealing with these insects disgusted him, the Decepticon leader knew that it was the only option they had. Many of his forces were completing tasks assigned to them by him and Shockwave, and they were too important for the troops to be reassigned. And the Vehicons would not be of much help, though their numbers were large, their combat abilities could not compare to the Autobots.

"Very well" Megatron said as he got up. "Barricade remain here and continue watching for any Autobot activities. If you see none for the next week, then I want you to scout the nearby lands, search possible locations of the Autobots' presence. Soundwave, contact Shockwave and have him assigned any spare troops to my field team. Also, I want a report of his combiner experimenting too." Megatron ordered.

"Understood, sir." Said Barricade.

"As you command Lord Megatron." Soundwave replied. "Recommend you take Laserbeak with you. He will be able to block Autobot and TRF sensors from detecting you."

"Very well, Soundwave." Megatron said as Laserbeak landed on the Decepticon's leader shoulder. "Await my word. Soon we shall be freed of this wretched planet, and walk once again on a living Cybertron." Megatron declared before transforming into a Cybertronian Jet. Soundwave transformed into his Avenger alt mode and the two Cons took off, with Barricade assuming his Mustang alt form and drove away.

 **Well, I hope you like that. Next chapter, Optimus will meet his 'Maker' and we see how the Autobots have been doing these past three years. Be sure to leave a review!**


	4. Home Sweet Home

**Like to say, thanks for the reviews so far guys. Let's keep them going. Also, I like to thank the one who mentioned that Warpath wasn't listed. I fixed that. With that said, on with the chapter!**

 **(** _ **Longshot**_ **, Prison Deck)**

Optimus's systems began to reboot, his energy reserves now full, and soon his optics came back online. Groaning, the Autobot leader began to get up, before noticing that he was sitting on a bunk inside a small room with a small shielded window. At the opposite end of the room were energy bars, making Optimus realize he was in a cell. A Cybertronian-designed cell to be precise. Optimus also took note of the cuffs around his wrists, and how they were blocking his scanners, coms and transformation cog. He also realized his weapons had been confiscated.

Deciding to see if anyone else was around, Optimus arose from the bunk and walked up towards the bars. When he did, he saw there were two guards, one on each side of his cell. One of the mechs noticed him, turning to face the Prime. He was a large bulky mech, around the same height as Hound and Ironhide, and possessed white and red armor. It took Optimus a moment, but he recognized the mech as the Autobot, Showdown.

Showdown appeared to be looking at Optimus with distasting optics. He then looked at his partner. "Shellshock. Go tell Anomaly and Switchblade that our _guest_ has awakened." He said.

Shellshock, an equally large dark green and silver mech, nodded before activating his coms. Optimus looked at Showdown, confusion on the Prime's face. "Showdown, what's going on? Where are we? And why am I locked in a cell?" Asked Optimus.

Snorting, Showdown replied, "I am under no condition to answer you, Prime." He said the last bit with hate, surprising Optimus.

"Now, now, Showdown. No need for such hostilities." Switchblade said. The Star Seeker leader and his second walked up to Optimus's cell. "After all, Prime at least deserves to know his fate."

Optimus frowned as he looked at the flyer, before optics widened in realization. "I thought your name was familiar. Switchblade, a Decepticon Commander. And you're Anomaly, a former student under Wheeljack. Why are you serving Switchblade?" Optimus asked the green and white mech.

"It's former Decepticon and Autobot now, Optimus." Switchblade answered. "We are the Star Seekers, Cybertronians that have banded together to survive. And this is our vessel, the _Longshot_."

"Star Seekers?" Optimus repeated before looking at Anomaly. "So, you've defected then."

"It was better than just dying. Do you even know how many of us felt when you sent that message?" The green and white mech snapped. "The Allspark, destroyed! Our world, Cybertron, slowly dying as well as many mechs and femmes, even young ones! We had to leave to survive, becoming exiles!" Anomaly snarled as he pointed a metal finger at his former leader. "You abandoned your own people, Prime."

His words made Optimus lowered his head in shame after hearing Anomaly's words. "There were reasons, Anomaly. Complicated, but good reasons for what I did."

"Perhaps" Switchblade said. "But both you and Megatron destroyed our home. Forcing us to survive on what scraps we had, as well as what we could take from others."

Upon hearing those words, Optimus's optics widened. "You…you raided other worlds, civilizations. Anomaly, how could you?!" Prime demanded, disgusted and horrified at what his former troops did.

"It was either that, or die, Optimus." Anomaly said. "And with our race on the brink of extinction, we had no choice."

"But, now that we have you, it won't be." Switchblade said. "We shall finish the mission Lockdown was supposed to complete, and regain our home." The _Longshot_ suddenly shook a little, but none of the Star Seekers seemed to mind. "It appears that we have arrived." The former Decepticon said.

"Where? Where have we arrived?" Optimus questioned as he walked towards his cell's window. What he saw made him gasp.

Up ahead was a massive planet, made of metal and earth, dark and lifeless. Large fragments of the planet had split off, but still held together through multiple iron cables. Almost as if it were still hanging to life. Despite having not seen it for years, Optimus never forgot the image of this planet and what it had become since they launched the Allspark.

"Cybertron" Switchblade said, answering Optimus's thoughts. "Our home"

 **(Earth, South Dakota)**

"I don't know what I've been told!" Sang Cliffjumper as he moved a pile of scrapped cars.

"I don't know what I've been told!" Repeated Skids and Mudflap as they helped the red mech.

"Blasting Cons never gets old!" Cliffjumper sung.

"Blasting Cons never gets old!" Sang the twins.

It was another normal day at the junkyard that served as the Autobots' forward base. The yard was surrounded by a wide fence, deployed with laser sentry guns, wires and other mechanisms they could gather. At the opposite end of the yard were the remains of the transport ship. With the efforts of Wheeljack and the Wreckers, it had been taken apart and remodified to serve as a base. New features include a main doorway for Autobots to come in and out, a very large hanger for Omega Supreme, and some landing pads for their fliers. There was also an overlook, serving as an observation post that allowed them to see the entire junkyard and the land beyond that. At the top of the base was a crow's nest, also overlooking the junkyard too. The inside of the former ship included a command and communication center, security room, a medical bay, laboratory, workshop, storage area, energon vault, weapons armory, and personal quarters. There was also a groundbridge too, built by Wheeljack after the Aerialbots recovered some of Sentinel Prime's pillars.

At the center of the junkyard was an old auto repair shop, a gas station, as well as a garage and several trailers, which served as homes for Cade, his assistant, Jimmy, and Adam. It was surrounded by various objects and had an outdoor workshop/lounge. Next to the shop was a tower built by Wheeljack, designed to hide the Autobots' signatures from the Decepticons and TRF scanners.

Another of his inventions was an extractor converter to get a steady supply of Energon by converting any type of fuel, whether it be solid, liquid or gas. It had numerous gauges and buttons dotted on its dashboard, while various tubes connected it to twelve feet long empty tanks on its right. That's where the converted Energon was released. On its left were drums currently containing gas, and next to them were empty canisters to be refilled. It was simply called an Energon Converter. It followed the same principles that the Sun Harvester did, but on a smaller scale and less likely to destroy the Earth.

The Autobots there were performing various activities. Cliffjumper and the twins were moving old beaten up cars as an exercise, and to make room for some additional security systems. Skids and Mudflap had also scanned new alt modes while keeping their colors, now transforming into Chevrolet Sparks. Crosshairs was hovering lazily above the ground aboard an assault carrier. Warpath and Ironhide were using some cars as target practice. Near them was Armorhide, the black and yellow stripped Volvo FH Globetrotter Semi-Tractor Trailer Autobot checking his Plasma Pulse Cannon for any possible problems. Sideswipe and Drift, the latter having a new red and black coloring, were sparring. Ratchet was in the med bay, doing an inspection to ensure that he had a full load of supplies. Jolt was expecting the wrecked vehicles that filled the junkyard, looking for any parts that could be useful. Trench was in his alt mode as he usually was, not minding as others walked by him. Jazz and Prowl were in the command room with Silverbolt, discussing about what the latter saw on his team's latest patrol. The rest of the Aerialbots were in their quarters, recharging after their return. Grindcore, a green mech with a Caterpillar 930G alt mode, was talking with Wheeljack while checking on the Energon Converter. The Wreckers, Leadfoot, Topspin and Roadbuster, were sitting against some old cars, talking with each other. Their dog, Steeljaw, was taking a nap nearby. Fixit, who now possessed an Amphibious ATV alt mode, was at the overlook, checking the security cameras for anything suspicious. Mirage was on the crow's nest, just lying about and staring up at the sky. Brawn, a short but bulky Autobot, who transformed into a grayish-green Hummer HX Concept, was using a broken van as a makeshift punching bag. Underneath a canopy beside the Auto shop were Wheelie and Brains surfing the web with Jimmy. The Dinobots were currently in their beast modes, just wandering around aimlessly.

Outside the junkyard, the large Autobot Stratosphere was in his Lockheed C-5 Galaxy alt mode, ready to transport some refugees to Cuba. Beside him were his escorts, Tomahawk and Blazemaster, who changed into black and grey Eurocopter Tiger Helicopter, and a dark blue Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin Helicopter respectively. Helping the refugees was Inferno, a red mech that possessed a red Nissan Patrol Rescue SUV. With him were the Allspark mutants, Longarm and Salvage. Longam turned into a white and blue stripped Ford F-350 Tow Truck and Salvage was a red Chevrolet Silverado Pick-up Truck.

Also in the command room was Cosmos, a green mech with a round-chassis and red helm. Being able to transform into a Cybertronian space ship aka a UFO, Cosmos would normally be in space, delivering reports to Prowl about things, such as Cybertronians coming into Earth's orbit. Sometimes he would come down to planet's surface and speak to Prowl directly.

Finally, near the base, were Elita-1, Chromia and Arcee. They had set up an outdoor playpen for the sparklings. Having grown out of the hatchling stage, the young Cybertronians were now displaying their own individual colors, and had already received designations. The sparklings were keeping themselves occupied with toys that Wheeljack had put together, all of them completely safe of course. Despite their current living conditions, the femmes wanted the sparklings to grow up safe and happy, as well as receive a proper education, unlike what Megatron originally had planned for them.

Back at the gas station, Jimmy was conversing with Wheelie and Brains about the site they were looking at. "So, is this some Autobot hook up site?" Jimmy asked the two mini-cons.

"Nah, just go here to dream." Wheelie replied.

"Yeah, can't be dreaming about the beauties here, now that they're all taken." Said Brain. He and Wheelie continued flipping through the site again.

Fixit was shifting through the security films when he saw some familiar vehicles approaching the front gate. "Cade's team has returned!" Fixit announced over the speakers. "And it looks like they brought a new arrival too."

Driving up the main road were Bumblebee, Evac, Hound, and Canopy, the last one carrying a sack of objects that he, Sqweeks and Izabella had collected over the years. Bumblebee quickly transformed, followed by Evac after letting, Adam, Rewind and Ramhorn out first. "Man, slagging those TRF drones felt good. Right, Bee?" Evac asked his friend.

Bumblebee replied with several beeps before making his way over towards the femmes, who were leading the curious sparklings to greet them. The yellow bot sat down as the younger Cybertronians crawled, waddled and ran over to him. The air was filled with their humming, trilling, purring, chirping and squeaking, happy to see one of their favorite Autobots. While the sparklings climbed on top of Bumblebee, Evac stood to the side along with Adam, waiting for Canopy to come up. Ramhorn went off to explore while Rewind went to deliver a report to Prowl.

While their entrance was subtle, Hound's was not. His transformation was followed by several small explosions and a few loose gears flying. "Boo ya! We're back ya'll!" He watched as a few mini-rockets went flying, causing more explosions. "Whoops, been holding down that one for a while. Talk about a cluster bomb." Hound said as he watched the explosions.

Unfortunately, his actions were not appreciated by the eldest femme. "Hound!" Elita shouted, causing the Autobot commando to flinch. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? What if the sparklings were over there?" The purple femme said as she began scolding the larger mech.

Wheelie watched from the safety of the sofa, before looking back Jimmy. "Hey, an't ya going to do something about that?" The former Decepticon asked.

"What, you crazy? No way am I getting in between Miss Purple's ranting. I'm not suicidal." Jimmy said, looking at Wheelie as if he lost it.

"I hear that." Brains said as the three went back to surfing the web.

Canopy drove by Hound and Elita, quickly letting Sqweeks and Izabella out before anyone saw them. He then transformed, allowing his sack to slide off his bed as he stood up. Wobbling a bit, Canopy was held up thanks to Evac, who began guiding the large yellow mech to the med bay for Ratchet to look over. Meanwhile, Adam walked over towards Izabella and Sqweeks, with said girl looking at all the Autobots in awe.

"Well, welcome to Autobot Forward Base." Adam said as he spread his arms out. "It doesn't have much of a view, but its habitable, for both Cybertronians and humans, and we get free wifi and T.V too."

Izabella said nothing, staring at the base behind the Auto Shop. "Is that a real space ship?" Izzy asked.

"It _was_ " Adam answered. "Took some damage three years ago in Hong Kong. So, we remodified it to serve as a base of operations. Here we can coordinate efforts to safely bring arriving refugees to Cuba as well get steady supplies of Energon for the Autobots. That's what they use to survive. But, we do have a giant mech who still transforms into a space ship if you want to see." Adam then pointed towards Stratosphere, who had just taken off, followed by his escort. "The refugees usually ride aboard that big guy."

"Freaking awesome…" Muttered Izzy, completely in awe.

Sqweeks turned his head, and his optics widened upon seeing something. "Chihuahua!" He cried.

Looking to see what was bothering the diminutive mech, Adam and Izzy saw Cade's jeep driving up the road. Even from this distance, Adam could tell that the man was pissed. "Shit, looks like someone is about to get on the receiving end of Cade's temper. Izzy, you'd better take cover until Cade cools down. Hide behind Trench here, he won't mind." Adam said to the girl. Izzy nodded and she Sqweeks went around the other side of the Cat 320 Excavator. the young hybrid watched as Cade parked his jeep beside the auto shop. The man then got out and slammed the door before marching on the junkyard.

"Okay, where's Grimlock? I know he did something to Sherman's car!" Cade yelled at the assembled Autobots.

"Somewhere back there. I think he was chewing something, guess it's the Chief's car." Ironhide answered as he walked up to stand beside his sparkmate. He moved his head to avoid a metal block flying at him. "X-Grid, no throwing." Ironhide said to the giggling sparkling.

"Grimlock!" Cade yelled towards said T-Rex. With him were Snarl and Slug. Riding on Snarl's back, protected by the upward plates was Skar, another sparkling. He got his name from Grimlock, who noted the scratch on the sparkling's left optic. Ratchet believed he got it when under Megatron's 'care'. Skar had taken a shine to the Dinobots and would normally spend time with them. Said mechs didn't seem to mind, Grimlock even declaring he would train the sparkling when he got older.

"Is that the Chief's car in your mouth? Yes, it is, I can see it!" Yeager yelled as he walked up towards the gigantic Knight. "Spit it out, now!"

Mirage walked up beside Hound, the two watching the whole thing taking place. "I'm guessing you guys ran into some trouble?" The spy asked.

Hound shrugged. "Something like that. Ran into TRF."

A laugh had everyone turning their heads towards Crosshairs, who had gotten off his carrier. "I bet Bumblebee got distracted searching the radio for the right words to say. Told Cade he should've brought me then the yellow bugger." Said Crosshairs.

"Oh boy, here we go…" Chromia muttered, putting a hand over her face.

" _Shut up!"_ Bumblebee said as he put the sparklings down. He then walked right up to Crosshairs. _"Before I do some damage, you won't walk away from."_

"Oh what? You want to go tough guy?" Challenged Crosshairs before Bumblebee tackled him to the ground. The two began kicking and punching each other. The sparklings chirped and squeaked, finding the whole thing amusing.

From her hiding spot behind Trench, Izzy couldn't help but laugh as she watched the whole show. Grimlock coughed up what remained of the car, before letting out a groan and put his head to the ground. Cade was still near him, scolding the Knight. Ironhide separated the two wrestling mechs, keeping Bee and Crosshairs separated from one another. Bumblebee shook a fist at the paratrooper, who just gave him the finger.

Back inside the base, Evac was giving his report to Prowl and Jazz. Silverbolt had gone off to recharge after and Cosmos was preparing to stack up on Energon and head back into space. "This Cybertronian…you sure he was Autobot?" Prowl asked after listening to Evac.

"I didn't see him up close. But I was able to get a catch a sight of his body when we left." Evac said as he projected an image of the dead Cybertronian. "Cade said his designation was Dion. I made sure to hide his body from TRF, so we could retrieve it later."

Prowl seemed surprised by the name, as well as the appearance of the deceased. "Dion…it can't be…"

"You know him, Prowl?" Asked Jazz.

"I never met him, but I've heard about him." Replied Prowl. "Before Cybertron was united thanks to Sentinel, we were all scattered into various tribes. One tribe was made of descendants from different members of the Thirteen's followers, primarily Prima, Solus, Vector and Alchemist. Among them were Orion Pax, Ariel, and Dion. Orion and Ariel later became Optimus Prime and Elita-One respectively. Optimus said that Dion was close friend of theirs."

The other Autobots in there were surprised by this bit of information. "So, what happened to Dion after that?" Asked Evac.

"Optimus said that the day before Sentinel came to their tribe, marauders attacked them, and in the process, Dion was killed. However, they could never find the body. I guess the reason being that he was still alive all this time." Prowl explained.

"But he was clearly an Autobot, if the insignia Cade found proves it." Jazz commented. "So, where was he all this time?"

"It looks like we'll never know." Prowl answered. "In the meantime, I want a look at that object he gave to Cade. While I doubt Dion would give us something dangerous, its best not to take any chances."

The conversation was cut short when Fixit's voice spoke over the loudspeaker. :Prowl, sir. Security cameras just spotted another Cybertronian approaching…its Daytrader: Fixit said, saying the name with a bit of distaste. :Orders?:

"Let him in, Fixit. He's one of us, whether or not you like it." Prowl ordered as he left the command room, followed by Evac and Jazz. "And by the way, Evac, when are you and Adam going to tell us about that human girl who came with you?" The lieutenant asked as he opened up a holographic projection, showing Izabella and Sqweeks hiding behind Trench.

The young Knight said nothing except for giving a sheepish smile.

Back in the junkyard, the gathered Autobots watched as a blue and white Mercedes Benz LK Model 1920 Dump Truck, carrying a ridiculous number of items, drove down the main road. "Ugh, here comes the most annoying Cybertronian on the planet? Should I frag him?" Hound asked as he juggled a grenade.

"Definitely" Replied Drift, who had finished his spar with Sideswipe.

"Hide the sparklings." Sideswipe said. "No telling what junk he brought with him this time."

Cade, after finishing scolding Grimlock, also spotted Daytrader. "'This time'?" Cade repeated before rounding on Jimmy. His 'assistant' had finally gotten up from the couch when Daytrader came driving in. "Okay, what did he give you that you'd let him in?" Asked Cade.

Like a deer caught by headlights, Jimmy stuttered, "No, no way. Why'd you think I did something? I barely have control over most of these guys when you're gone. None of this has to do with me and-"

"Hey, Cade" Wheelie said from a top of a table. Beside him was a Cybertronian blaster. "He got this." Said the mini-con as he kicked the weapon with his wheeled foot.

"Wanted it because he thought it made him look like a badass." Added Brains as he climbed up next to his friend.

An argument began between the two Autobots and Jimmy, which Cade had to go and break up. Meanwhile, Daytrader had begun transforming once he reached the others. "Yo, how's it going folks?" The scavenger asked cheerfully.

"Okay, I'm gonna frag him." Hound said as he prepared to pull the pin. He was stopped when Armorhide grabbed the grenade from his hand. "The slag, Armorhide?" The commando said.

"Throw that anywhere near the young ones, and the femmes will rip you into pieces." Armorhide said before tossing the explosive back to Hound. "That, and I don't want any more damn explosions. Got a processor ache already." The black and yellow mech added.

"Yeah, what the big guy said, Hound. You've gotta stop with starting things off with violence. You do it all the times, right off the bat." Daytrader commented.

"I love violence. That's why." Hound said as he examined his combat knife.

By then, the other Autobots had come over to see what all the fuss was about. After stopping another headache between his assistant and the mini-cons, Cade walked past his large friends. "Daytrader, the hell you are doing here?" He asked.

"Oh, come on, Cade. Don't be like that." Daytrader said as he walked up to the human, with several items falling off as he moved. "Anyway, Prowl wanted me to come if I had any news regarding a ship that you're all wanting me to fine. But, I also brought a new voice box for our Bumblebee over here." He added as he held up said device.

Cade took it from Daytrader. He recognized it from the images Ratchet had showed him. "You sure this is gonna work?" The man asked the Cybertronian junker.

"Don't act all doubtful on me. You know you guys only get the good parts." Replied Daytrader. "Checked it out myself, fully operational. Our yellow friend will feel like a brand, new bot."

"Hear that, Bee? You're gone talk buddy!" Cade said to Bumblebee.

" _Oh~ Can't touch this!"_ Replied Bumblebee as he played some music and did a dance. The sparklings nearby squeaked in excitement, liking the noise coming from the yellow mech.

"Yeah, break it down, Bee!" Cheered Hound as the other Autobots chuckled or sighed in exasperation at Bee's enthusiasm.

Some of the other Autobots gathered around Daytrader, wanting to see if he had anything useful. Jolt particularly wanted to fine some spare parts he and Ratchet could use. While that was happened, Cade walked away back to his trailer. Izzy took that moment to run after him. Seeing this, Adam followed her to do damage control.

"Izzy, wait!" Adam shouted, catching Cade's attention. When his eyes settled on the girl, he groaned.

"Oh no! No, no, no! I am not dealing with this." Cade said as he continued walking towards his trailer. "Adam, I don't want to know how or why, but she is not staying. Your little girlfriend has got to go."

"G-girlfriend?" Sputtered Adam.

"First off, I'm not his girlfriend. I'm a friend." Izzy defended herself. "Plus, I'm not leaving as long as Canopy and Sqweeks are here. And I can be useful, I fix shit, probably better than you and Adam."

Adam had by then reached Izabella, with Sqweeks behind him. Putting a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, the hybrid said, "Look, how about you find Rewind or Evac. I'm sure they can take you to see Canopy. The big guy is probably being fixed up by Ratchet as we speak."

Izzy looked like she wanted to argue. However, she consented and walked away, the diminutive blue mech following behind her. That just left Adam and Cade, the latter having sat down on a couch, a can of beer in one hand and a burrito in the other. The older man gave the teen a look. "I know what you're going to say, but hear me out. Izabella can be useful. Besides she doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"And what do you mean by that?" Cade asked as he took a bite out of his burrito.

Adam sighed. "Her parents were killed by the Decepticons during the Chicago Battle." Cade paused when he heard that. "Apparently, Izzy refused to go into foster care and decided to strike out on her own. That's how she ran into Canopy and Sqweeks. She took care of them and they her."

Cade said nothing, just chewed on his lunch. After he swallowed, he looked at Adam. "And what do you know of her?"

"She's resourceful and knows a lot about Cybertronian biology. Hell, she'd be more helpful than Jimmy." Adam said. "I doubt Izzy would rat out on us or turn us in to TRF. She isn't bias as the rest of the planet is. Plus, she could be useful when we need a less direct approach." Adam explained. "Just give her a chance, okay?"

Thinking hard, Cade kept silent, before eventually saying, "Fine, she can stay. But, she has to pull her part while staying here."

Adam nodded, happy that Cade had agreed to let Izabella stay.

 **(Cybertron)**

The _Longshot_ had soon landed on the dead planet. Immediately a small escort walked out of the ship. Leading from the front was Switchblade, with a white and black mech named Doubletake walking beside him. After them was Firebreaker, a purple, green and black mech who was carrying a pulse blaster. Behind him was Optimus Prime, still held by the energy cuffs. Keeping an optic on him were Showdown and Shellshock. To the side, was a purple and orange mech, Pandemic. He was carrying Optimus's confiscated weapons. Finally, at the back, was the blue and orange femme Catapult, and the bulky red mech with orange flames, Ripraw.

"Anomaly, we'll take Optimus to the mistress. You're in charge of the ship until we return." Switchblade ordered over the coms.

:Copy that, Switchblade. Good luck: Replied Anomaly.

As they began walking down the wasteland, Optimus took this moment to look upwards. He watched the millions of stars above Cybertron shine brightly. However, his optics shuddered when the planet Neptune passed by overhead. It soon occurred to Optimus that Cybertron was moving, and at its continued trajectory, would arrive at Earth in several days.

Deciding to try and find out more, Optimus looked at Switchblade. "Where are we heading?" He asked.

Not looking at the Autobot leader, the Star Seeker leader replied, "Somewhere that will be familiar to you. Though you might not recognize it in its current condition."

Optimus was confused by his words until a shadow suddenly engulfed them. Before them was a massive structure, covered in rust from centuries of neglect. The roof had several holes in it, and the large entrance was missing its doors, having either been torn off or merely fell off. It took Optimus a second, but he soon realized what this place was. "The Hall of Records." Optimus murmured. He remembered coming here many times during his time as head of the Science Division, to speak with his old caretaker and Archivist, Alpha Trion. Sometimes to catch up with the ancient mech, inform him of discoveries the Science Division made, or ask questions related to their peoples' past. Along with the Simfur Temple, where the Allspark was held, it was one of the two places where Alpha Trion could be found.

His musings were cut short when Showdown pushed him forward. Optimus's escort walked inside, allowing the Prime to gaze upon the Hall's interiors. Once, it was full of Cybertronians seeking knowledge, clerks keeping the archives in shape. Now, it was empty, devoid of life, just like the rest of the planet. It served as another reminder of the tragedy that the war had brought to their home.

The group eventually stopped halfway into the building. Switchblade got to one knee. "My mistress, we have brought Optimus." He said to an individual floating in the center of the building, the same spot where Alpha Trion use to sit.

The person was a femme. She was rather small, around the same height as Elita and her sisters. Her body glowed an eerie, silver, metallic glow. On her head was 'hair' which gave off the impression of living beings, as they moved about in a slow, hypnotic fashion. She wore what appeared to be a dress, that split off into several tendrils at the bottom. Her face was humanoid, and she had blue optics, just like Optimus. But her optics held dark secrets and lies, not all comforting. When she looked at Optimus, she gave a small smile that was similar to one that view others as tools.

"Welcome, Optimus Prime." She said in a silky voice, that would've sent shivers up the Prime's spin if he was organic. "My name is Quintessa, the Prime of Life. And your Creator."

 **And, done! Please leave a review of what you think. Especially the new Autobots shown so far. Below is a list of the sparklings, separated between male and female, as well as their colors.**

 **Sparkling List**

 **Males:**

Gasket: Cobalt and Yellow

Riptide: Teal and Navy

Axewide: Maroon and Gunmetal

Strongback: Cerulean

Ramjump: Turquoise

X-Grid: Glaucous and Magenta

Big Wire: Orange

Skylock: Purple and Green

Dusthorn: Beige

Matchstick: Carmine

Equator: Green and Khaki

Skar: Grey and Yellow

 **Females:**

Firefly: Vermillion

Aurora: Wisteria and Olive

Paddles: Yellow and Red

Daystar: Ebony

Ironbolt: Ultramarine

High Cloud: Cyan

Flipside: Amber

Nightflare: Black and Lime

Terraquake: Tan


	5. Daily Activities

**Here is chapter five. In this chapter, we'll see some of the daily activities the Autobots do, as well as other developments. Be sure to review!**

 **(Cybertron)**

Something inside Optimus snapped. With a roar, he tore off the energy cuffs and then delivered a strong kick to Pandemic. The Star Seeker was sent tumbling backwards, releasing the weapons, and allowing Optimus to grab his sword. His speed left the others no time to stop him as Optimus charged Quintessa.

"What have you done to my home?!" Shouted Optimus as he raised his blade, ready to strike Quintessa. The small femme merely fired a blue energy blast from her hand. The blast knocked Optimus's sword out of his hand. Before Optimus could react, a large Cybertronian mech appeared in front of him. It had grey armor with a demonic appearance, including two horns on its head and red optics. Attached to his forearms were particle cannons. The Cybertronian picked up Optimus before roughly tossing him back.

Quintessa then made a gesture, and multiple chains shot out from everywhere. Each one latched onto the Prime, wrapping around his arms, piercing his chest and back, forcing him to his knees. The demonic Cybertronian walked behind the Prime. Quintessa soon floated in front of Optimus's face.

"Infernocus, make sure he doesn't move." Quintessa said as she looked back at Optimus. Her gentle and sinister smile never leaving. "You dare to strike your god, Optimus?"

Optimus growled, struggling against his bindings. "You defiled my world! Put my friends in danger! Allowed Lockdown to hunt and kill us! You are no god to me! I will kill you!" He said furiously.

Her smile turning into a sneer, Quintessa hissed and struck Optimus's left cheek. She released a bolt of blue energy, causing the cheek to form a dull red mark after the impact. The sorceress gripped Optimus by the helm, showing impressive strength for someone of her size.

"Your war doomed Cybertron, you fool!" Quintessa said as she roughly released Optimus.

Optimus's glare never wavered. "Megatron was the one who started the war! Not I! It is because of him that Cybertron is in ruins!" He defended.

"And yet you were the one who sent the Allspark into space, making Cybertron slowly die." Quintessa rebuffed. Infernocus grabbed Optimus's head from behind, jerking it straight so his blue optics remained on the sorceress. "You also allowed the Cube to be destroyed! You and your Autobots foiled every attempt to return Cybertron to life. The fault is on you!"

The chamber descended into silence after that. The Star Seekers said nothing. They merely stood where they were and watched the whole thing happening. Infernocus kept his optics on Optimus, while Quintessa hovered in front of the Prime.

"So, you're going to help me fix it, or the Cybertronian race will die." Quintessa said as she floated up. "I made you, you're mine to command."

"I'll never help you." Declared Optimus. "As I told your bounty hunter, I am slave to no one."

"We shall see" Was all Quintessa said before electricity ran through the chains and shocked Optimus. He withheld the urge to scream and did his best to resist the pain as the torture continued.

 **(Autobot Forward Base)**

The sun had begun to rise over the badlands of South Dakota. Inside the fully healed Canopy, Izabella began to stir from slumber, a blanket over her body. Beside her, Skar also began to stir, coming out of recharge. The honorary Dinobot sparkling let out a small growl as his blue optics looked at Izzy's brown eyes. Said girl smiled at him. "Good morning" Izzy murmured. Skar just yawned as he stretched his servos.

Wrapping the blanket around her, Izzy got out of Canopy's alt mode, one arm holding Skar. The sparkling, who reached Izabella's waist, snuggled against her shoulder while Izzy looked around. Already, some of the Autobots were up, preparing for the new day. Sqweeks made some noise as he rolled up to Izzy. Behind the Autobot base, the sun slowly began to go higher and higher into the sky.

When it was agreed that Izzy would be living with them, there were some discussion of where she would sleep. Cade, Jimmy and Adam lived in mobile homes (though, sometimes Adam would sleep with the Autobots) they had to figure out where Izzy would sleep. Adam had volunteered his trailer for Izzy to stay in, and he would sleep in the Ark, but the girl decided to sleep with Canopy. After living in the ruined buildings of Chicago for six years, Izabella had grown accustomed to sleeping outside. That was one of the reasons why Skar was with her, the sparkling having inherited the Dinobots' style in sleeping outside berths. Not that the girl minded.

Back to the present, Izabella made her way over towards Cade's trailer, after handing Skar to Snarl who came over to get the sparkling. Yeager was already up, stretching in his sleeveless white tank top, and brown shorts. "Morning, kid. Sleep well?" Cade asked, spotting Izabella.

"Like a brick" Replied Izzy.

Cade smirked at the girl's response. "Toothbrush and other toiletries are in the auto shop. We'll be having breakfast soon before planning the day. Prowl picked up a lot of new info, so it will be a busy one." He explained before heading back inside his trailer, preparing to get dress.

As the humans got dressed and began breakfast, there was work going on in the Autobot base. Prowl was speaking with Silverbolt, Jazz, Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee at the command center. "We've received word from our spy within TRF that several Autobots have been captured. They're currently being held near a small suburban town in California, preparing to be transferred to TRF base. We'll have to use the groundbridge to get there in time and rescue the refugees. Bumblebee, that will be your mission. Take the humans with you as well, they may be useful in the mission." Prowl said to the yellow mech.

Bumblebee let out confirmed chirps in response.

"Cosmos has detected a huge stash of plutonium in an abandon mine, located in Bulgaria. Such a find would be useful to be converted into large batch of energon. There is a chance that the Decepticons might also be aware of this, so I'm having Ironhide go there, transported by Stratosphere. Bring a small team with you as well. The primary objective is securing that plutonium." Explained Prowl.

"I hope they're some Cons there. My cannons have gone rusty." Ironhide grumbled as he punched his fists together. His shell cannons whirled, as if in agreement.

"What about me, Prowl? What are the Aerialbots doing today?" Asked Silverbolt.

"They're have been reports about large structures protruding out of the ground in various points over the world." Prowl said. "Cosmos sent me images, but I need your team to get a closer look at what they are. Try and keep your presence at a minimal, though. Chances are there will be humans near the sights too. If so, do not engage, understood?"

"Got it" Silverbolt said.

"Ratchet has already left for Cuba. Apparently, the Omnicons discovered an energy source that might prove useful to be converted into energon. They asked for Ratchet to inspect it to ensure that it is healthy." Prowl added. "And that concludes the morning officer meeting."

The others left to prepare for their designated assignments. However, Jazz remained behind, something Prowl noticed. "Something on your mind, Jazz?" The lieutenant asked.

"Has there been any word from Optimus?" Asked Jazz.

Shaking his head, Prowl sighed. "No, nothing at all. I've had Cosmos keep his scanners open in case he picks up Prime's energy signature. But, either he's too far away or something is blocking it, Cosmos has had no luck." The lieutenant explained.

"Scrap" Jazz muttered as his optics narrowed, not pleased. "We could use the big man right about now."

"Indeed. With our current situation, Optimus's presence would be helpful in reassuring the others." Prowl added. "They haven't shown it yet, but the current situation is beginning to affect them in a negative way. However, right now we must focus on securing more energon until we can find a vessel big enough for all of us."

Jazz let out a huff. "Yeah, all we need is a little energon, and a lot of luck."

 **(Havana, Cuba)**

It was a normal day in Havana, capital of Cuba. People were either working, going to school, or hanging out at restaurants and other social joints, or at the beach. Sharing in the fun were the many Autobot refugees that have arrived too Earth during the past three years. Many of them were in their alt modes, while others were walking around in their true forms out in public. If it were not for the actions of the world leaders and Cemetery Wind, no doubt the rest of the planet might be like this too.

Near a four-story house, a large, bulky blue mech could be seen, bouncing a volleyball. He had a maskplate covering his face as his blue optics looked through the windows of the second floor. "C'mon! Simmons! Dutch! Get out here and play! We need two more people for the game and you're it!"

"No, no, they are busy." Said Tova Anael Fischer, Simmons's mother. She had also come to Cuba with her son, much to Simmons's annoyance. "Go and find someone else to play with, Rollbar."

"Aw, they're always busy!" Rollbar complained as he put the volleyball under his arm. "What the pit are they doing anyway?" Asked the mech as he tried to look inside.

Said inside was covered with various objects, hanging on the walls were maps of the world, certain countries and towns, as well as photos, both new and old. Some showed famous landmarks, other mountains, and the newer ones were of the odd horns that appeared recently. There were also newspaper articles too. Many of these papers had circles on them, as well as lines that linked different photos, newspapers and maps together. There were also globes, computers and other tools that investigators would normally use. And finally, scurrying around the room, were Simmons and Dutch.

It was Simmons who glared at Rollbar. "What we're doing, my noisy friend, is trying to solve a case that could possible save both humans and Cybertronians alike!" He said. "So, if you don't mind, I like to get back to work. Also, I need more ice for my smoothie! What are we, animals?"

"Yes, yes, I am on it." Dutch said as he rushed off to get more ice.

"In any case, ask Landmine to play with you." Simmons said to Rollbar before getting back to work.

As if on cue, the garage door next to the house opened. Rolling out was a grey Desert Patrol Vehicle before quickly transforming into a mech around the same height as Rollbar. An Allspark Mutation like Longarm and Salvage, Landmine was originally one of several dune buggies of Sector Seven given life by the Allspark. However, only he managed to survive long enough and had enough sentience doing so, escaping Hoover Dam after S7 was disbanded. Following the battle of the Harvester, Simmons discovered Landmine somewhere in California. With his rise to fame giving him a mansion, Simmons took in Landmine to live with him in his new home. When Cemetery Wind was formed, Landmine fled to Cuba with Simmons and Dutch, later joining up with Leo Spitz and Camshaft.

"Sorry about Mr. Simmons, Rollbar. Apparently, he caught onto something big regarding those horn things popping up anywhere. I'll play if you'll let me, never tried volleyball before." Landmine offered.

Rollbar sighed. "Fine, but it wouldn't hurt for the guy to come out and play a little bit." He muttered before transforming into Renault Master Van. Then he drove off, followed by Landmine.

Elsewhere, at the beach, humans and Autobots were playing with one another. Near the large clusters of rocks was Leo Spitz, Sam's former college roommate and currently a liaison between the refugees and Cuban government. Presently, he was working on a tan while trying to attract the attention of the opposite sex. He was having little luck with the latter.

Meanwhile, riding in the water was a red jet ski. Interestingly, the driver looked like a replica of Leo and, and was doing a better job of getting attention thanks to the impressive stunts he was pulling off. Eventually, the jet ski headed back towards the sand, before transforming into a red mech that was around the same height as Elita and her sisters. "Hey, Leo. Are you sure its safe for you to be taking in so much sun rays?" The mech asked.

Leo brushed off his concerns. "Relax, Beachbreak. I have an umbrella here and already put on sunblock. Now go away, I'm to get the ladies' attention." He complained.

Beachbreak's optics spun as he looked around, noting the lack of humans nearby. "Er, okay. Good luck with that. I'm going to see if the lifeguards need any help." Beachbreak said before transforming and taking off.

As Leo went back to relaxing, he did not notice the two vehicles driving on the road behind him. One was a silver blue lined GMC Terrain, and the other was an orange Peugeot 3008. The two vehicles headed towards a large garage door built into the nearby mountain. Said mountain served as the home for the Autobot refugees. The natural structure had been dug through heavily these past three years, to make room as more and more Cybertronians came to Earth.

Once the two vehicles passed through the door, and entered in what was a communication center, the GMC Terrain transformed into Camshaft, while the Peugeot transformed into Hubcap. They waved at passing by Autobots as they headed towards the back of the base. Waiting for them was Dune Runner, Camshaft's right-hand bot, who transformed into tannish yellow Humvee. "Camshaft, sir. Ratchet and the others are waiting for you." Dune Runner reported.

At said back was a large door that had the words 'Omnicon's Testing Facility' in Cybertronian. As the door slid open, Camshaft and Hubcap were greeted with four mechs inside. One of them was Ratchet, with a dark green and brown mech, Strongarm, beside him, who transformed into a Jeep Commander. Across from them were two more mechs; Signal Flare, a buff and brown colored mech with a M9 Half-Track Armored Personnel Carrier alt mode, and Skyblast, the sole flyer Omnicon, possessing a Boeing EA-18G Growler, with a white and tan paint job. The four were surrounding a round machine that was keeping a chunk of energon hovering in the air, protected by glass too.

"Ratchet" Camshaft said as he shook the medic's hand. The green yellow mech greeted the one-optic Autobot before saying hello to Hubcap. "Has Strongarm filled you in on what's going on?"

"No, we were waiting for you two to come before starting." Ratchet answered. "As the respective leaders of the refugees here in Cuba, you should know what is going on."

"And exactly what is going on?" Hubcap asked.

Strongarm started the explanation. "As ordered by Prowl and Camshaft, we had started draining the geothermal energy from volcanoes to convert into energon. We've been successful, got a lot of cubes thanks to that. However, recently we discovered something weird."

"Define weird." Ratchet said.

Pointing to the liquid substance inside the glass. "This was mined from a volcano a few weeks ago." Signal Flare said. "We had thought it was liquid magma, but later discovered its in fact raw energon in liquidize form."

"Energon? From the Earth?" Hubcap asked. "I'm no expert, but this planet doesn't produce energon, right?"

"You can't mine energon if that's what you're wondering. However, as the Omnicons explained before, it's possible to convert other energy sources into Energon." Ratchet answered as his scanned the liquid substance. "But, if what they're saying is true, then this is actual, raw energon, no signs of having been converted."

"So, what does that mean?" Asked Camshaft. "Is it safe or not?"

"Ratchet already confirmed that there are no anomalies in it. The energon is good for consumption." Skyblast answered. "However, I think we should be cautious when distributing it."

"Why?" Inquired Hubcap. "If it's okay, then the refugees can drink it. We're already low on supplies as it is. No need to keep them away from perfectly good energon."

"Easy there, Hubcap. They just want to make sure that its safe." Camshaft said, trying to calm his friend. The orange mech just vented before walking out the door, passing by a confused Dune Runner.

Sighing, Camshaft looked at the others. "Sorry about that. Hubcap was with three other Autobots when he arrived. His friends were killed by Cemetery Wind, so he feels a bit of resentment towards humanity. Despite that, he knows there are some good humans. It's just he's worried about the refugees. Getting energon and other useful materials have been rough, what with both the Decepticons and TRF hunting us."

"Its understandable. These are hard times for us, what with Optimus having left three years ago." Ratchet said. "For the time being, let's begin distributing the converted energon. This raw energon will have to be watched for now until I can properly confirm its safety."

 **(California)**

On the outskirts of a small town, a TRF team was preparing to head out. The group consisted of over a dozen soldiers and some vehicles, energon detectors, and a large armored truck. They had managed to catch a group of Autobots, trapping them in vehicle mode using inhibitor cuffs that disabled their T-cogs. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, Adam and Izzy were watching from behind some bushes not to far away. The young man had a special pair of binoculars.

"I'm picking up several energon signatures inside the truck." Adam said. He put the binoculars down and spoke through the radio. "This is Savior Leader. Rescue team roll call."

:Savior-1, ready and able: Said Bumblebee.

:Savior-2, here: Drift replied.

:Savior-3, no problems here: Reported Evac.

:Yo! The Savior brothers ready ta kick aft!: Exclaimed Skids.

"Alright, beginning phase 1." Adam said. He looked at Izabelle, who nodded and put a baseball cap on her head, to cover her face. Moving around so she was coming out from behind a nearby house, Izzy began running towards the soldiers. She let her left leg limp, making it look like she was injured.

"Help!" Izzy cried. The soldiers snapped to her. "Help! Transformers are attacking! Please, help!"

As expected, four of the soldiers ran over to the 'wounded young girl'. Izzy had gotten to her knees, keeping her act up of being hurt. She immediately directed them that her so called attackers were around the corner of some nearby houses. Three of them immediately headed out to find them, while the fourth one was trying to help Izabelle, not seeing the concealed taser she had in her hand.

Meanwhile, Adam snuck closer to the convoy, loading several tranquilizer darts into his crossbow. Once ready, he took aim and fired at the necks of the seven other TRF soldiers. Each shot hit their mark, and soon they were out cold on the ground. Once they were incapacitated, Adam approached the truck, where the last soldier was in the driver's seat. Keeping his head down, the hybrid banged on the door, catching the man's attention. Watching as the soldier cautiously got out, he didn't have a chance as Adam landed a blow to the TRF soldier's head, knocking him out just like the others.

Turning to check on the others, Adam saw that the others had completed their parts too. Izzy had rendered the soldier trying help her unconscious. Skids and Mudflap walked out behind the house, carrying the last three remaining TRF soldiers in their hands. They had rendered them unconscious with swift, and yet controlled bonks on the head. Soon, Drift, Evac and Bumblebee came out from their hiding spot.

"Ha! Foolz didn't even kno we waz dere!" Skids declared as he and Mudflap tied up the unconscious humans.

"The energon dampeners Wheeljack invented are working well." Evac mused as he destroyed the detectors.

Adam ran to the back of the truck. He spotted the electronic locking mechanism for the vehicle and immediately got to work. "Now to get what we came for." He said as he swiftly hacked the lock. To an ordinary person, this triple lock encryption would've been impossible. However, Adam was not ordinary, and it only took him three minutes to break through. "Drift, you're up." Adam said as he pointed towards the regular locks.

With a nod, the samurai bot took his sword and swiftly cut them off. Bumblebee came up and pulled up the door with ease. Inside were several cars and motorcycles, as well as other electronic devices too. Each one had a round mechanism attached to them. "Inhibitor locks, stand back." Ordered Adam as he raised his crossbow-axe. Adjusting the frequency of his weapon, he fired a low-level energy burst that disabled the locks. As the locks fell off, the vehicles and devices came to life, revealing their Autobot insignias.

"Okay, everyone outside, hurry." Drift said as he guided the prisoners outside the truck. At the same time, Evac called in a groundbridge. A portal opened up in front of the group. Bumblebee led the way as the freed refugees followed behind, some carrying the others in their vehicle modes. After them, Drift and the twins went through next, followed by Evac, who had Adam and Izabelle with him. By the time the TRF soldiers regained conscious, the Autobots had disappeared.

 **(Bulgaria)**

With help from Stratosphere, the Autobot team consisting of Ironhide, Salvage, Longarm, Inferno, Brawn and Armorhide had finally arrived on the outskirts of an abandoned mine in Bulgaria. With them was Blazemaster, there to provide aerial support. Old vehicles, mining equipment and other human-made objects were scattered all around them, rusted from the many years from being unused.

"I'm not detecting any Decepticon signatures, sir." Longarm reported to Ironhide. "I am however, picking up radioactivity somewhere inside the mine."

"That's probably our plutonium." Replied Ironhide. "Armorhide, stay here with Brawn and Inferno. Longarm, Salvage and I will head in and retrieve it. Blazemaster, remain on standby."

"Understood" Blazemaster replied as he took to the air.

The three Autobots ventured inside, searching for the canisters of plutonium. They immediately turned on their lights and activated their optical scanners. As they continued walking, Salvage stopped when his scanners picked up something. In front of him was what appeared to be an old human vault, with a slightly faded Soviet Union symbol on it. Carefully, the red and orange mech tore open the upper part of the vault. Inside were several metal canisters, all of them giving off radiation. "Ironhide, sir! I found the plutonium!" Salvage announced.

Ironhide and Longarm walked over to examine the contents. "Yes, this is definitely what we're looking for. Good work, Salvage." Said Allspark mutant look proud as he and Longarm began picking up the plutonium. Meanwhile Ironhide contacted the others. "Armorhide, we've found the plutonium. Heading back to you."

The sound of gunfire was the first thing Ironhide heard. :You might want to hurry it up! Decepticons just showed up!: Armorhide cried.

"Slag!" Cursed Ironhide. "Longarm, Salvage! Keep that plutonium safe! I'm going to reinforce the others!" The weapon specialist said before heading back to the exit.

Back outside the mine, Armorhide, Brawn and Inferno had taken cover behind some rocks. Advancing them were multiple Car-Vehicons. Up above in the sky, Blazemaster and Stratosphere were having a dogfight with a squadron of Jet Vehicons.

A red Willys 77 drove up behind the Vehicons and then transformed. "I don't know why you Bots are here and I don't care! It feels good to finally slag you guys after so long!" The red mech, Wildfire, shouted over the noise of his plasma cannon.

"Right back at ya, Con!" Armorhide yelled as he fired his pulse cannon. A Vehicon's head was shot off but the rest just continued their assault. Inferno was firing his Photon SMG when one drone got a lucky shot and hit the mech in the shoulder. "Argh!" Inferno cried as he clutched his wound. Brawn helped his comrade lie down behind the rock before firing his forearm mounted Plasma Pistols and left-shoulder mounted Photon LMG. The drones returned fire with their pulse machine guns, releasing neutron bullets onto Brawn. However, the Autobot's heavy armor repelled most of the damage.

A bomb suddenly fell on top some of the Car Vehicons, releasing gel that melted them on impact. Wildfire's optics widened as he watched Blazemaster transform, landing beside his comrades. Dishing out his Ion blasters, the large Autobot fired on the remaining Vehicons along with his back-mounted plasma rockets. Things got worse for the Decepticons, when two rocket shells flew past and blew up the last remaining drones.

Walking out of the mine, Pulse Shell Cannons raised, Ironhide kept his optics on Wildfire, who began to realize he was now outnumbered. "Looks like I got my wish of blasting come Decepticon punks." The weapon specialist said.

Growling, Wildfire activated his missile cannon. Aiming at the rocks directly above the Autobots, the Decepticon declared, "Oh yeah? Well, I hope you like this place, because it will become your tomb!"

But, before he could carry out his threat, Wildfire was crushed underneath the heavy metal of a giant foot. Said foot belonged to the large Autobot, Stratosphere. The flyer had his arm-mounted laser autocannons and missile pods out, having just finished off the remaining Jet Vehicons. "Ew, I think I stepped in something." Stratosphere joked as he removed Wildfire's remains from his feet.

The Autobots chuckled as they lowered their weapons. "Longarm, Salvage. Area is clear, you can bring out the plutonium." Ironhide said through the coms. He then looked at Inferno's wound. "You going to be okay until we get back to the base?"

Inferno nodded. "I'll be fine. Just singed the outer layer of my armor." He said.

"By the sound of that Con, they weren't expecting us." Armorhide said as he picked through the drones' remains. "Anyway, we might as well take these back with us. Use them for spare parts."

"Ack, so long as theirs room for them inside Stratosphere and us." Brawn said as he scanned the area.

"I should manage." Said flyer replied. "And if not, Blazemaster can carry whatever's left."

"Hey, I'm a bomber, not a carrier." Complained Blazemaster. No one listened to him as they began piling the drone parts.

 **(Washington D.C.)**

Lennox had never been so grateful at seeing the Pentagon. After spending the rest of yesterday in Colorado, looking over the captured Decepticons in the TRF prison, as well as deal with Santos for a whole day, Lennox was to go and report to Morshower about the recent events. However, as he walked into the lobby, the first thing he saw made all the shit he had to put up with go away.

"Dad!" A twelve-year old Annabelle Lennox cried as she got up from a nearby bench. The girl ran up to her father, who happily welcomed her into a hug. Following behind Annabelle was Sarah Lennox, still beautiful as ever. She had a relieved smile on her face as she watched Will enter the door. And in her arms, was the most recent member to their family. With chubby legs and arms, a patch of brown hair on his head, matching wide brown eyes, a pacifier in his mouth, and wearing green onesies, was six-months old Aaron Hyde Lennox, named after the Lennox's former guardian, Ironhide.

"Hey, how's my little girl?" Lennox asked as he rubbed Annabelle's blonde curly hair.

"Been playing with her little brother while we waited. Telling him all the adventures she had with Ironhide." Sarah replied. She walked up to Lennox and gave him a kiss on the lips, before handing Aaron to his father.

"I'm sure that kept him amused. An't that right, buddy?" Lennox asked his infant son.

Aaron said nothing, just sucked on his pacifier and patting his father's cheek with a chubby hand.

A scoff got the family's attention. Walking through the door was Santos, who was giving Lennox a dirty look.

"You got a problem, buddy?" Annabelle asked harshly, fists touching her hips. Her tone and challenging stance reminded Will much of Ironhide.

Santos gave the girl a withering glare before looking back at Lennox. "You might want to tell your daughter not to get too comfortable speaking about those things, Colonel. Some people might take it the wrong way." The TRF Commander said before walking away.

Annabelle looked like she wanted to rush the man, but a look from her mother made the girl stand down, though Sarah also looked rather peeved. Lennox noted how the mood seemed to have dropped. "Why don't you take your brother and head outside? I want to speak to your mom and then finish up my report for the General. After that, we can go somewhere to eat. My treat." The man said as he gave Aaron to Annabelle. She nodded before heading back to the bench where Aaron's stroller was. That allowed the parents to talk.

"Will, how can you work with someone like that?" Sarah hissed, looking at Santos's retreating form.

"I have no control over that, Sarah. This is the only way to make sure both humans and the Autobots are safe." Lennox replied, trying to calm his wife. He understood her anger. Ever since NEST was disband, followed by the formation of Cemetery Wind, Sarah would always wonder when in God's name humanity would get its collective head out of its ass? How many times had humans as a whole turned on the Autobots, only to have the Cybertronians save their ungrateful lives? The media didn't need to reveal the atrocities the late CIA unit had committed, Sarah already had a good idea about them, and correctly theorized that they had a hand in the death of many civilians (she wept when she heard about Sam and Mikaela's death, making sure to keep in contact with the former's parents). Members of Cemetery Wind would sometimes bring her in for questioning, wanting to know if she had been in contact with the Autobots ever since Ironhide was forced to leave them. Sarah was not blind to the many underlining threats those agents made towards her and her family, but they never dared to do anything rash, not with who her husband was.

However, Sarah and Will's main concern was Annabelle. The little girl had taken it the hardest, forced to watch Ironhide leave them. Though the parents had explained to her that the Autobot was doing it for their own safety, Annabelle would cry a lot, wailing for her guardian to come back, so life could return as it used to be. When Will had told her that Cemetery Wind had been disbanded, and the battle at Hong Kong, Sarah hoped that would be indeed the case.

Instead, the leaders of the world were being idiots again; all Cybertronians were considered illegal, and TRF was formed. Sarah would admit that the unit was not like its predecessor, but it was nothing like NEST. Many of the soldiers in it were determined to capture and/or kill any Cybertronians they saw, including Autobots. It didn't matter to them if they were armed or not, all of them were targets. True, they didn't cause unnecessary causalities, or make deals with alien bounty hunters, but TRF still cracked hard on sympathizers. That's why so many of them, like Simmons, fled to Cuba.

A few minutes later, Lennox was being escorted through a long underground room. Near the center was TRF General Morshower, overlooking a light-up table. The escort saluted while Lennox stood beside Morshower. "Colonel Lennox. Welcome to the 'Tank', where we deal with the dark shit." The General explained.

Lennox snorted. "As if we don't deal with that already."

Smirking, Morshower replied, "Yes, I was told about you and your family's brief encounter with Santos. Your daughter will make one heck of a soldier if her mother let's her." The two men chuckled before getting back to business. "Predators have taken shots of several Cybertronians investigating the horns. Most recent have been three that we've confirmed as the Aerialbots. Brief recon and no interaction with teams at those locations. But there not who I called you."

Picking up a photo, Morshower gave it to Lennox. It showed a single Cybertronian standing on a cliff overlooking a horn. "ID has confirmed that Megatron himself has been investigating each site, this one taken in Siberia. This is the second time we've managed to learn his location. The first time when CIA traced Barricade in Chicago, when he met with Megatron and discussed about a talisman and staff."

"This doesn't make sense." Lennox muttered. "These past three years, he's been using the Decepticons to do field work. If we found him so easily, then Megatron wants us to know where he is."

"I agree. We also confirmed that when he was in Chicago, Soundwave was also with him. There's no way Megatron didn't know about the tracer." Morshower. "Plus, Megatron actually made contact with TRF." Lennox gave him a surprised look. "He captured two CIA officers and said he wants to negotiate them for the release for several of his soldiers being held."

"Negotiate? With Megatron?" Lennox asked. "And you're agreeing with it?"

Morshower massaged his eyelids. He clearly didn't like it either. "Megatron gave us a vague description that the Autobots are holding a device of unimaginable power. He wants it, but he needs some of his boys to do it."

"Sir, the higher ups cannot actually let-" Lennox tried to say but was cut off.

"It's too late. Secretary Keller already told me that the Department of Justice and the world leaders have agreed to the deal." Morshower ordered. "But you're going to be there all the way, with the military backing you because he is _not_ our friend. I want this device found and brought back so it can be held in a secured place, away from the Decepticons."

"And what about the Autobots?" Lennox asked. "I'm sure that they would understand if you just give me the chance to talk to them. They know me, the history between us."

"Colonel, if I could, I would let you. But Keller believes it is not safe, not with the current situation. We already betrayed them once, I don't think the Autobots will trust us." Morshower said sadly. The Secretary of Defense was doing his best to minimize the damage, but it hadn't been easy. The rest of the world were just to affix on their fear towards the Cybetronians, regardless of faction.

 **I apologize that it took me a while. There have been some complications in getting ready for my next semester in college. Anyway, be sure to review! Next chapter will be the town fight.**

 **Wacko12**


	6. Town Fight Part 1

**You're all going to finally see some action! Good old Autobots vs. Decepticons! Be sure to leave a review and enjoy the chapter!**

 **(Cybertron)**

Optimus vented air as his body went limp, held only by his restraints. He had lost count how many times Quintessa has electrified him. The only clue he had was that he had seen Jupiter through the hole in the Hall of Record's roof. Cybertron was slowly moving towards Earth and would most likely reach it in a few days at this rate.

All that time, the sorceress was determined to break the young Prime but had no success. Optimus displayed a strong will against Quintessa's methods, much to her aggravation. Switchblade and his crew had already left, their ship following Cybertorn from a distance. "I must admit, Optimus. Your will is even greater than I had originally predicted. Though I'd expect nothing less from my creation.

"I…am not your…creation…nor will I…ever…serve you…" Optimus said as he tried to refocus his optics.

Quintessa's optics narrowed at that declaration. And Infernocus let out a low growl and then roughly forced Optimus to his feet. That's when a new voice spoke. "It appears that your 'creation' is being more stubborn than we thought."

Coming out of the shadows was the towering mech that had hunted Dion. Its purple optics stared down at Optimus, and the Prime couldn't help but shudder at his gaze. For some reason, Optimus had the feeling that this mech was more dangerous than Quintessa.

Said Sorceress frowned at the newcomer. "Optimus Prime is necessary in recovering the staff, Thunderwing. Only the talisman, or someone with the CNA of the Thirteen can enter that vessel, and its occupants would not give me the chance of reaching it."

"Than perhaps we should trust the endeavor to another individual with the lineage of the Primes." Thunderwing suggested. "Jhiaxus has created a means of creating a new Prime, though our guest will be needed. We'll also need the use of Scourge, your hunter. He's the only one who will be suitable for the procedure."

"Very well" Quintessa replied before looking at Optimus. "I will contact Scourge and tell him to come. Have Jhiaxus prepare his machine so we can start the progress. And what will you be doing?" She asked Thunderwing.

Said mech began making his way out of the facility. "I will be heading towards Earth. Even if we cannot the talisman right away, at the very least we can acquire the other piece." He said before transforming. The large shuttlecraft blasted off at break neck speed, already disappearing from view.

Optimus turned his gaze from Thunderwing towards Quintessa. "Just what is it you're after?" Optimus demanded.

"I'm glad you asked." Quintessa said. With a hand gesture, the lights focused towards the engraving on a wall across from Optimus. The wall showed the image of twelve Cybertronians in the center of it. In the middle, above the warriors, was what appeared to be a staff, floating above an image of Cybertron.

"Before you, I created twelve warriors, the Knights of Iacon. They served me as my bodyguards and greatest warriors. But, they rebelled against me, trying to undermine my authority. They left Cybertron and taking with them my Staff. The staff amplified my abilities a thousand-fold. It allowed me to do things I could not do alone. Centuries later, they gave it to the humans of Earth, then hid it away inside their vessel, a vessel the talisman could lead us too." Quintessa said. "Without that staff, I cannot restore life to Cybertron and destroy Unicron."

The last part made Optimus recoil. "Unicron, the Chaos Bringer. I read about him, here, in the Iacon Hall of Records. The texts said he was brother to Primus, the _creator_ of Cybertronians." His emphasis on the word 'creator' made Quintessa glare at him. "The Chaos Bringer sought to bring about darkness to the Universe. Primus fought his brother for eons, the tides turning in each other's favor countless times. It was only when Primus made the original Thirteen Primes that he was finally able to defeat Unicron and cast him out to the stars."

"I assure you, that is a fairy tale." Quintessa stressed. "But Unicron was truly defeated. Cast out he may have been, but the Destroyer of Worlds was not gone. Instead, he has remained alive, slumbering in stasis for eons. As he slept, regaining his strength, space debris gathered around him due to his gravitational force. As more and more debris gathered around him, its mass grew to the size of a planet. That planet is Earth, where your precious humans live on."

"Earth, Earth is Unicron?" Optimus said in shock, unable to believe that.

"Yes, and once I retrieve my staff, not only will I be able to destroy Unicron, but by absorbing his own energies, I shall bring life back to Cybertron." Quintessa declared.

"But that will destroy the planet! Humanity will be wiped out!" Shouted Optimus, struggling with his bindings. "You can't condemn them to death!"

"Enough!" Hissed Quintessa, shocking Optimus again. "I was originally planning to send you to retrieve the staff. But given your refusal for redemption, I shall have to use other options. You will live, however, so you may bare witness to the rebirth of Cybertron."

 **(Autobot's Forward Base)**

It was the morning in the junkyard as the Autobots were performing various tasks. Meanwhile, Izabella was busy working on attaching Sqweek's new arm. It was salvaged from the deceased Wildfire, thus, was a bit larger that it touched the ground. Nevertheless, it was the best Izzy could find and would suite her friend well.

The fourteen-year old was wearing old grey gloves, to safely hold the blow torch in her hand. Covering her face were goggles and a large cloth. Wheelie, Brains and Rewind were watching from the side. "You sure the kid knows what she's doing?" Wheelie asked the taller mini-con.

"Hey, I've seen her fixed worst shit than this." Replied Rewind. "Besides, be good practice for her once Ratchet gets her to work."

"Stuff of nightmares." Brains muttered.

"You guys mind? I need to focus." Izzy said as she continued fusing the arm to her friend's shoulder. After a few minutes of welding, the girl turned off the torch and put it down. Pleased with her work, Izabella declared, "Perfecto!"

Sqweeks clicked in Cybertronian, trying to move his new arm. It was a struggle for the first few seconds, but he eventually got it moving. Wheelie rolled up to him and examined the limb. "Heh, looks pretty ugly to me." Was all the ex-con could say before Sqweeks smacked him to the side.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." Brains commented as he watched his friend hit the ground.

Izzy laughed at the interaction. "You look good, buddy." She said to Sqweeks.

The blue Autobot clicked back just as Adam rode up to them, riding on top of Ramhorn. The Cybertronian rhino nuzzled his head against Izzy affectionately, earning giggles from the girl. Adam smirked and then looked at Sqweeks, nodding in satisfaction at his new arm. "If you're up for another challenge, Ratchet and Cade want to see if you can put that new voice box into Bumblebee." The hybrid said.

As Izzy and Adam rode off to meet with the others, in another part of the junkyard, Elita was paying her respects to her fallen friend. Built in a part of the junkyard, far from the rest, laid two tombstones, with metal caskets buried underneath. One tomb had Jetfire's name written on it, and the more recent one had Dion's name. Standing beside Elita were Chromia and Prowl, the former there to give her sister comfort.

"All this time, thinking he was dead" Murmured Elita as she stared where her old friend was buried. "Why didn't Dion ever reveal himself to me and Orion? Why remain in hiding?"

"Who knows" Prowl said softly. "Perhaps he had his reasons, Elita. According to Ratchet's autopsy, Dion's wounds had been inflicted before ever entering Earth's orbit. Whatever he was running from, it was clearly doing everything in its power to stop him. Dion proved himself a true Autobot, not even letting his wounds stop him from reaching Earth."

Elita nodded, Chromia placing a comforting hand on her older sister's shoulder. Prowl decided to give her some space and began heading back to the base. As he walked, he was approached by Fixit, who quickly transformed from his alt mode back into robot mode.

"Sir, I wanted to inform you that Daytrader has left the base a while ago. Wheeljack also went with him too. Saying it was per your orders." The orange mini-con reported.

"I did, Fixit. Daytrader said he may have found us the ship I've been hoping for. I sent Wheeljack with him to rendezvous with Depthcharge in hopes he can repair it." Replied Prowl. "In the meantime, keep our surveillance security up and running."

"I'll get right to it sir. Do you think something is going to happen today?" Asked Fixit.

Prowl had a deep thinking look on his face as he stared up at the sky. "I lived long enough to trust my processors. And they're telling me something is going to happen soon, very soon. I want to make sure we're ready for it."

 **(Earth, Desert)**

Colonel Lennox watched from in front of a row of folding tables as a jet streaked across the sky. He knew of no jet on Earth that looked like that. It was who they were waiting for. Megatron had arrived.

" _Scheduled contact is IDed and cleared."_ Lennox heard in his earpiece. A TRF team was hiding nearby, armed and ready should Megatron attack. He watched as Megatron transformed and landed, dropping his two human hostages on the ground. He scared them off before approaching the line of tables. Perched on his right shoulder was Laserbeak, the condor's optics scanning the area.

Behind the tables were several black SUVs, as well as a single M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle (ASV). Lennox turned around and went to open the doors to an SUV, allowing the occupants to come out. Lawyers with the TRF and military were there to make sure the deal with Megatron went smoothly. They all had faces of fear as they exited the vehicles, seeing the towering menace marching towards them, his wicked sword-axe in hand.

"You know who they always kill first?" Lennox asked the Asian lawyer next to him. She was staring at Megatron in fear. "Lawyers."

Lennox went out to meet Megatron as the lawyers took up the seats at the tables, setting up laptops and all. He didn't want to do this, hated it even. But, as Morshower had said, it was a necessary evil. Megatron would lead them to this Staff and then promptly be put down _hard_. But while Lennox wouldn't admit it openly, the Decepticon terrified him. Megatron practically gave off a sense of impending doom. And seeing what the Con could do in Mission City, Cairo, and Chicago, didn't help lessen that fear.

Megatron finally stopped before Lennox. The mech cocked his head to the side, red optics staring at the man intensely. "Do I know you, human?" He asked offhandedly. Laserbeak let out a squawk as he downloaded data into the Decepticon leader's CPU. Images of Lennox killing Blackout from Mission City answered Megatron's question. He let out an 'ah' sound before getting down to business. "I want my crew!"

"Give me names!" Lennox said.

"Mohawk"

Lennox turned to the lawyers. They talked amongst themselves briefly before one of them nodded. He turned back to Megatron. "Okay, he's clear. Next."

"Hooligan"

One of the lawyers typed on her laptop. "Hooligan, in for… bank robbery. Aggravated assault. Murder. Double murder. Triple murder. Nine dead. Didn't even take the money. No!"

But, they quickly changed their mind when Megatron roared, followed by slamming his sword onto the ground. "What?!" Megatron roared.

"Well, uh, we can be flexible." Another lawyer stammered. "How about GPS? Yeah, we can put a GPS on them."

Lennox just shook his head. He then looked back at Megatron for more names.

"Nitro Zeus"

"That's fine, but the Government requests that he doesn't leave the county," some other lawyer informed. "And we're serious about that."

Lennox gave a sigh, muttering, "Alright, alright. Who is next?"

Unsurprisingly, Megatron requested the release of several Cons, including Dirt Boss, Blitzwing, Tankor, Vortex, Lugnut, Reverb, Macerator, Kickback, Trample and Tread, Fearswoop, Brimstone, and Ransack. Lennox was uncomfortable with releasing so many dangerous Decepticons, but the world leaders figured they would be easier to handle when put together. Plus, they would have GPS on them too.

"And, the last two." Megatron began. "Berserker"

Every human gave him a blank look before one lawyer said, "Absolutely not!"

"Nope, no" Lennox said to Megatron. "There are limits! Whose number two?"

Megatron scowled. "Onslaught"

"Eh, let me run that up the flag pole really quick." a lawyer said before pulling out his phone and calling someone. After the call, he held up the phone and shouted, "Yes, yes!" After that, the lawyers could not have been any faster, packing up and practically running back into the perceived safety of the SUVs.

Only Lennox remained, looking back at the Cybertronian. "What do you really want, Megatron?" Lennox asked the Con. Megatron had to have some twisted reason for this. The Staff had to be a super weapon or something. He had to have a plan to end Earth. That's what he had always done.

Megatron attached his sword to his back. "What anyone wants, human. To go home." The Decepticon leader replied before walking off, Laserbeak hissing from his shoulder.

Watching the Con leave, Lennox turned around. "Yeah, that would be alright with me, too." He muttered.

 **(South Dakota, several miles from Autobot Base)**

Megatron inspected the force he had managed to assemble. Including Barricade and the ten Shockwave sent, it made a total of thirty soldiers. Most of them weren't Megatron's first choice for this mission, in fact many of them were just cannon fodder. But they would do for now until more of his troops were done with their tasks.

From the TRF he was able to secure the release of Mohawk, a knife-throwing foot soldier who transformed into a Confederate Motorcycle. Next up was Hooligan, a former Dread who turned into a rusty Volkswagen Type 2. Then there was Nitro Zeus, the younger brother of Shockwave and had a Saab JAS 39 Gripen alt mode, as well as the tactician Onslaught, a bluish-green mech that changed into an Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT). After them were Dirt Boss, a Con that scanned a light green forklift, and Reverb, whom transformed into a red Buell Lightning XB9SX motorcycle. Macerator was one of the Cons that took part in the battle of Chicago and managed to survive, no doubt thanks to his Waste Management Garbage truck alt mode. Following him were Trample and Tread, twins that transformed together into a yellow Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker bus. He also had the loyal Kickback released, a reddish-brown Decepticon raider, who had been captured when he tried to assault an oil refinery and scanned a purple Dodge Journey. Then Blitzwing, a Triple Changer with three personalities to match too. He transformed into a tan and purple Panavia Tornado Jet Fighter & Mitsubishi Type 74 Tank. With him was Lugnut, a simple-minded Decepticon flyer that turned into a dark purple North American B-25 Mitchell. The jokester, Fearswoop, transformed into a orange AMX International AMX. Brimstone, a Con with a blue and orange Chopper Motorcycle, was also released. Vortex was a Con that transformed into a grey and black HH-60G Pave Hawk. The idiotic Tankor transformed into a blue Merkava Main Battle tank. Finally there was Ransack, a very old mech from the times of the Fallen, with a red and tan winged Albatros for an alt mode.

Shockwave had managed to send him the flyer, Ruination, with his alt mode, a grey Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Then Gunbarrel after that, a strong artillery specialist, who had scanned the fitting alt mode of a dark blue Flakpanzer Gepard. Another heavy hitter was Hailstorm, a weapon's expert and a green and grey M270 Multiple Rocket Launch System alt mode, was also sent. With them was the fast Space Case, who transformed into a light blue Sukhoi Su-27 jet. The dirty fighter, Terradive, with a orange black Sukhoi Su-30, was also assigned to this mission. Next was the sniper expert, Hardtop, whose alt mode was an tan brown Light Strike Vehicle dune buggy. The next two were Bludgeon and his partner, Mindwipe, who transformed into a dark green Type 10 Hitomaru Tank and a black F-117A Nighthawk respectively. Also joining was Cyclonus, a maniacal purple mech that scanned a Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter. A unique one was Scowl, a former Knight with a grey Ankylosaurus alt mode. Second to last was Skystalker, with a large black Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. And the last one was Blademaster, a sniper with forest green RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter alt mode.

Shockwave also mentioned that the Stunticons would be ready soon, and that they might be operational to come and assist.

"Lord Megatron" Barricade said as he approached his leader. "The humans have located the Autobots. We await your orders."

Megatron gave a savaged grin as he looked at his troops. "Decepticons, the hour of Cybertron's salvation is at hand. Today, we hunt!" He roared before transforming into his jet mode, taking off. The other flyers transformed and followed. Barricade and the other ground Decepticons drove off seconds later. Behind them, the TRF prepared to watch the situation from afar, preparing aerial drones for deployment.

 **(Junkyard)**

"Okay, watch that wire," Cade instructed Izabella.

Presently, they were both elbow deep in Bumblebee's 'mouth' as they tried to remove his old voice box and install the new one that Daytrader brought. It was slow going, but it was going. With them were Adam and Ratchet, the latter watching over for any mistakes.

Izabella glared up at the inventor. "I know what I'm doing. Don't rush me."

Cade raised an eyebrow. He looked at Adam. "Is she always this snippy?"

"Most of the time." Adam shrugged, ignoring Izzy's glare. "Kind of like Ratchet here."

"Ha, ha, amusing." Ratchet commented drily. "Now, can we please get back to focusing at the task at hand."

They slowly slid the busted piece of Cybertronian biotech out, taking care not to damage anything else Bumblebee might need. When it was free completely, Cade and Izabella worked together to lower the new voice box into its slot. Both humans and Autobot tensed up as the final wires were hooked into place. Upon completion of the job, Cade stepped back. Bumblebee sat up from the metal slab he laid on and flexed his lower 'jaw'.

Wiping his hands with a dirty rag, Cade looked up at the yellow mech. "Alright, Bee. Sit up and try it out, buddy. Let's hear it, your real voice. Feel it out." He said.

"This is so exciting." Bee said, only to realize his 'voice' sounded more feminine. "Oh no! This isn't my damn voice!" He cursed.

"It appears that Daytrader gave us a femme voice box." Ratchet mused as he did a scan on Bumblebee.

Cade shook his head, pissed that Daytrader, sold them the wrong voice box. "I'm gonna kill him," he said to himself before turning back to Bee. "You know, I'm not giving up! You'll speak with your own voice one day, Bumblebee."

"Daytrader is a punkass bitch!" Bumblebee cursed just as Ratchet removed the voice box. He then transformed and drove off, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

"He's right, you know." Izabella said as both watched as Bumblebee tear around a line of stacked cars. Flipside, Strongback and Ironbolt were clicking from their perch at the nearby base as they watched the yellow mech. The other sparklings followed to see what the noise was about.

"About Daytrader being a bitch?" Asked Cade.

Izzy nodded. "Yeah"

"I know."

"I think we already knew that." Commented Adam.

'BAM!' 'CRASH!'

The three jumped when they heard something crash nearby. Running outside, they saw a downed military drone, with a large hole right through the center. From the fence, several of the defense turrets were standing up, their barrels smoking before retracting. The Autobots soon followed, their weapons at the ready.

Suddenly the loudspeakers came alive. Chief Sherman's voice spoke through it. "Uh, Cade," the chief's voice said, stressed and hurried. "The…thingy, that code… there's a red. A red thingy. Wait, code red! There's somebody coming!"

"He's right" Fixit said from the overlook. "Long range scanners are detecting multiple military drones, as well several energon signatures approaching at a fast rate."

Prowl came running out the base. "My informant in the TRF just contacted me. TRF made a deal with the Decepticons. We have a Con strike force heading our way."

Cade wasted no time and ran to the alarm system he installed, slamming his palm on the red button and then rushed to find Jimmy. Adam ran off to find his gear, while Izzy went to find Sqweeks. Meanwhile, Prowl started giving orders.

"Jazz, find the others, tell them we're moving in sixty seconds! Canopy, Grindcore, Trench, get the sparklings inside the base. Rewind, get Omega Supreme online, quickly. Fixit, prepare the energon blocker and cloaking system, have defense systems on standby. Contact the Aerialbots too. With Blazemaster and Tomahawk escorting Stratosphere and the refugees, they're the only air force we got." Prowl said in just five seconds.

The three Construction vehicle Autobots hurriedly brought in the squeaking sparklings, while Wheelie and Brains jumped onto their shoulders. Fixit was doing some last-minute adjustments, and the Dinobots took off to distract the humans. The remaining Autobots consisting of Prowl, Jazz, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Leadfoot, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Jolt, Skids, Mudflap, Crosshairs, Mirage, Drift, Brawn, Armorhide, Topspin, Inferno, Roadbuster, Salvage, Longarm, Warpath, Cliffjumper, Elita-1, Arcee, Chromia, and Evac quickly transformed into vehicle mode. After finding Jimmy, Cade hurried about, grabbing anything he could. He told Jimmy to grab as many weapons he could carry. The two rushed over to Cade's modified truck and climbed in. The only one that was not preparing to move was Hound. The commando was searching through his weapon arsenal for the ones that would do the most damage.

"This'll definitely mess somebody up good," Hound muttered to himself, strapping his assault rifles to his person. "Roll out of here, guys. I'mma buy ya some time."

"Don't be a hero, Hound!" Cade shouted as Adam got into the truck. "We're getting out of here, now!"

"Hell, I was born a hero." Hound said back. "Besides, someone's gotta distract those Cons for the systems to hide the base."

"Wait, wait!" Izabella came running up, Sqweeks rolling right next to her. "You're not leaving me. You leave me, and they take Sqweeks!"

"Leave Sqweeks!" Jimmy shouted. Though he most likely did not mean it, the prospect of being sent to jail or worse, killed, was putting the man under a lot of stress. "He's a survivor!"

Ignoring him, Cade and Adam helped Izzy push Sqweeks onto the back of the truck. Once that was done, the two teens climbed up beside the blue mech while Cade got back into the driver seat. Ramhorn snorted and stood beside the truck. Once they were buckled in, Cade turned the truck's key and drove, with the Autobots following behind him. As they left, the base behind them began to fade away, soon completely covered by the stealth tech.

A few minutes later, the Decepticons arrived. The laser turrets automatically opened fire, but they did little to annoy the Cons, who quickly dispatched them. Megatron transformed and landed between a row of rusted cars. He growled as he scanned the 'empty' junkyard. There was no sign of either Cade or the Autobots. As suspected, TRF had given away their approach and their enemies had fled. Still, Megatron knew they had not gotten far, the smell of gasoline was still fresh in the air. As well as their fear.

"Yo, Megatron, boss, we an't got no one here." Mohawk said as he stood on top of a rundown car.

"I can see that." Growled Megatron.

"Unfortunate, I was hoping to bash some heads." Nitro commented as he landed.

Cyclonus walked around the junkyard. The purple mech's optics spotted something on the ground. Zooming in, he saw several tire marks. "My lord, I've found their tracks. They're heading southeast." Cyclonus said.

Megatron nodded. He was about to order his soldiers to pursue when from a row of cars, something burst out from cover, literally. Old cars and scraps of metal were sent flying. Immediately, Megatron slid on his battle mask as an Autobot rolled out of the dust.

"Come and get some, ya bitches!" Hound shouted as he opened fire with his tri-barreled minigun.

The barrage hit Megatron first, forcing the Decepticon leader to a knee. The smaller Decepticons took cover as the bullets soared through the air. The others were about to retaliate when Megatron acted first. Rolling forward into a crouching position, he powered his fusion cannon. Raising his weapon, he fired two shots at the pest. The first missed while the second hit center mass of the Autobot, the force propelling him back into a pile of cars.

Retracting his mask, Megatron turned towards his troops. "Decepticons! Transform and pursue Yeager!" He ordered.

"Lord Megatron. What about the Autobot?" Onslaught asked, indicating to the wounded commando.

Growling Megatron replied, "Retrieving the talisman is far more important than the termination of a pathetic Autobot. Now, move!"

As the Decepticons took off, none of them spotted Trench. Once he was sure the area was clear, the excavator Autobot transformed and rushed to help Hound.

 **(Prowl's Team)**

:This is Fixit to Autobots! Fixit to Autobots!: The orange mech's voice spoke through the coms. :The Decepticons are heading towards your position. Hound took some damage fighting them, but he'll live:

"Understood, Fixit. We'll take it from here." Prowl replied as the group reached an abandoned town.

:Be careful, it sounds like Megatron is after that talisman that Cade has: Reported Fixit.

"Talisman?" Repeated Cade. "You mean the thing Dion gave me?" He wondered. "Jimmy!" He shouted, startling the young man next to him. "My bag in the back. I need you to check it for the talisman I brought back from the No-Go Zone."

"I-I" Jimmy stuttered. "The what?"

"Circular metal thing with odd markings on it!" Yelled Cade.

"Alright, alright!" Jimmy said. He leaned back and pulled the leather bag and put it on his lap to rummage through. It took only a few moments, but Jimmy pulled out the talisman. "This it?"

Cade glanced at it. "Yes, yes! Now put it back inside!"

By then the group had entered the empty town. Due to its lack of populace, it was the perfect place where Cade and the Autobots rigged with traps. Placed just for a situation like this.

"Alright, Cade, make sure the bombs are ready. Then you and the other humans find somewhere to hide. The rest of us will take our positions." Prowl ordered as he brought out his neutron SMG.

The others quickly transformed and readied their weapons. But, before they could continue, a rapid beeping was coming from Bee's chest plating. Drift took his sword and knocked a small device off the scout. He held it on his sword for the others to see.

"What's this?" Crosshairs asked, leaning in to get a look. It was obvious what the device was, a tracker. The sharpshooter turned to glare at Bee and jabbed a digit at him. "You lead 'em right to us!"

Beeping wildly, Bumblebee raised his hands. _"What? I know nothing about this!"_

"Well, that would explain how they found our base." Jazz mused as he took the tracker from Drift.

Cade had pulled out an alien plasma rifle. "So, the TRF put a tracker on Bee. It's done, over with. No use getting worked up about it." He said, trying to break-up a possible fight.

"Cade's right. We have Cons inbound, so let's get ready for them." Ironhide grunted.

As the Autobots prepared for the ambush, Cade, Jimmy, Izabelle and Adam headed into an old hotel. Adam and Cade dumped the bags they had brought onto nearby couches, before opening them up and revealing explosives. "Jimmy, Izzy. Stay here while Adam and I get these things set up. Do not leave. At. All." Cade ordered as he headed out, followed by the hybrid.

"Ramhorn, stay here and protect them." Adam ordered the Cyber Rhino. Ramhorn let out a grunt in acknowledgement.

Izzy looked like she wanted to argue, but they had already left before she could open her mouth. Huffing, the teen plopped down on a couch. Jimmy had already done so, fumbling with the blaster he had gotten from Daytrader.

The Autobots had already taken position by the time the Decepticons arrived. The eager ones, those desiring to fight and kill Autobots, took the front, while the more tactical and cautious Cons were at the rear. And in the middle, was Megatron, with Barricade walking beside him.

Cade's eyes locked onto Megatron's appearance. His new form was a towering menace of metal. Sharp angles all throughout. The red optics seemed to glare at everything around him. Then there was that red mark on his face. It was as if the Devil marked him. That only made him even more terrifying and Cade couldn't help but shudder.

The Autobots also had their own opinions too. :Slag, looks like Megatron got an upgrade: Sideswipe commented.

:He looks like he came out from the Pit itself: Noted Mirage.

Brawn then asked the obvious. :Where did he even find the cyber-matter for that new body?:

:Must've been from the Seed. Despite Adam's tampering, there must have been enough for the Decepticons to construct Megatron a new body: Summarized Ratchet.

"Boo ya! Decepticons are in the street bitches! Time to take names and lay some hurt!" Mohawk cheered.

Nitro was next to him, punching his fist into his hand. "Oh yeah, I feel a fight coming on!" The Decepticon assassin cheered.

Macerator banged his fists against his chest, mimicking a gorilla. "Ugh! I'm getting anxious! When can we waste some Autobots?!" The green mech roared.

"Be quiet, fool! We will only waste them when Lord Megatron gives the order!" Hothead Blitzwing said to Macerator. His face then changed to Random Blitzwing. "Yeah, hide and seek is fun!"

Hardtop and Hooligan climbed up some nearby roofs, scanning the town. "Lord Megatron, I'm not picking up any Autobots on my sensors." Hardtop said as he looked through his Nucleon Charge Rifle.

"No, they are here!" Megatron responded as he waved his hand. "Spread out! Search this town and find them."

"Why don't we just blow the town up? Then we can just search for their bodies among the rubble." Gunbarrel suggested as he raised his four-barreled rotary cannon.

"We cannot risk destroying the talisman." Megatron snapped. "Just continue your scans but be wary. The Autobots are no doubt waiting in ambush."

The sound of something falling to the ground caused Cade to snap his head to the side. There, in the center of the road stood Sqweeks, his cover having been blown over by the wind. The inventor cursed as he saw the blue bot, because Sqweeks did not go unnoticed by the Decepticons. Megatron threateningly ordered him to come over to him. Once he was closed enough, Megatron grabbed Sqweeks by the head and picked him up.

Turning him this way and that, Megatron snarled, "You have an utterly repulsive scent. Disgusting."

"Hey!"

Cade's head snapped towards the source, and his heart dropped. Running out of the building was Izabella…heading straight towards the Cons.

"Put him down!" Izabella demanded. "You think I'm afraid of you?! Cause I'm not!"

"What's that supposed to be?" Kickback asked.

"A human youngling. Femme, by the looks of it." Replied Barricade.

Mohawk sneered at the girl. "Look at this little mofo walking up with all that swagger!"

"Go to hell!" Izzy shouted at the small Con.

Megatron scoffed. "This planet _is_ hell!"

Before he could do anything, a sharp pinch caused Cade to cry out in pain. The talisman had somehow crawled out of his bag and latched on to his upper arm. It caused him to be spotted as Izabella continued her march forward.

"Ack! Get off!" Cade yelled as he tried to shake the talisman off. Unfortunately, Megatron heard him.

"Cade Yeager!" The Decepticon snarled, tossing Sqweeks aside. "I need that talisman!"

Seeing how his cover was blown, Cade took aim and fired at Megatron. The energy bolt hit the Con, making him stumble backwards a bit. Quickly, the inventor turned on the detonator. The bombs went off at once, consuming the Decepticons in a swarm of explosions. Many of them were knocked off their feet. Seeing the opening, Cade ran up and grabbed Izzy. Meanwhile, Ramhorn dashed from his hiding spot and grabbed Sqweeks just before the explosions hit the little blue bot.

As Cade guided Izzy around an alley, he yelled at the girl, "Are you out of your mind?" Cade scolded the girl as they ran. "You don't do this kamikaze shit! You're not going anywhere with me!"

Back with the Decepticons, despite the explosions, none of them were killed, though slightly disoriented. However, Megatron managed to get them back on track. "Get those wretched creatures!" Megatron roared through the smoke.

"Now!" Adam shouted from his position on top of a nearby roof. He fired his crossbow, the energy projectile hitting Barricade in the face. At the same time, the Autobots sprung from their hiding spots.

"Autobots, attack!" Prowl ordered, firing his sub-machine gun.

The entire town was soon consumed in gunfire as both sides opened fire. Some of the Cons gave chase, going after Cade and Izzy. Barricade dodged the attack and chased after the humans, with Hooligan and Nitro right behind him. Tread, Trample, Kickback and Macerator joined them, driving on the sides. As Barricade turned a corner, Cade fired a shot from his alien pistol. It struck the Con on his side, stunning him temporarily. Megatron fired at Cade and Izabella, but from his position he could not get a direct hit, though he was awfully close. However, he was forced onto the defensive when Wreckers opened fire on him. Onslaught, Skystalker and Gunbarrel tried to help their leader, but were cut off by Drift, Crosshairs, Ratchet and Cliffjumper. The Decepticon flyers had taken to the air but were soon cut off when the Aerialbots finally appeared.

Ruination aimed his plasma cannons at the humans. But he was cut off when Sideswipe and Jolt attacked him. Sideswipe cut off the Con's left arm, while Jolt fired electric bolts before ensnaring Ruination with his whips. The larger Cybertronian roared as he tried to strike Jolt with his rotor blades, only to be shot in the leg from Sideswipe's pulse pistols. Now on one knee, Ruination could do nothing as Jolt wrapped one of his whips around his neck. With electricity surging through it, Jolt tore off Ruination's head with a strong pull.

"Man, I missed taking down Cons!" Sideswipe said as he put away his pistols, while Jolt retracted his whips, allowing Ruination's corpse to hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Barricade quickly transformed and tried to grab the humans, but was interrupted when Grimlock appeared. Letting out a roar, the Dinobot leader struck the smaller con with his tail, before letting loose a stream of flames from his mouth. The flames struck Nitro, who had to use his jets to get out of the Dinobot's way. Hooligan was not so fortunate, as he found himself engulfed by Grimlock's jaws. He tried to escape, shooting at Grimlock's face, but was swiftly offline by the Dinobot's teeth.

Grimlock ran to attack Barricade again, only to be hit hard by a spiked tail. The impact sent the Dinobot crashing against a nearby building. Getting up, Grimlock's optics widened when he saw a large Ankylosaurus glaring at him. However, his shock changed to anger, the Dinobot let out a roar, "Scowl! Traitor!"

"I figured that would be the response I get from you, Grimlock!" Scowl roared as the two dinosaurs clashed.

Back with Cade and Izzy, the four other Cons had finally caught up to them. Trample and Tread were the first to transform, splitting up to surround the humans. They were just about to grab them when Ironhide charged the twins. He first grabbed Trample, throwing the Con over his head before slamming him violently on the ground. Trample's head was smashed into pieces on impact. Seeing his brother's death, Tread roared and lunged at Ironhide. The weapon specialist dodged Tread's punch and then grabbed the Con's arm and leg. Before Tread could escape, Ironhide tore him in half, letting out a victory roar while doing so.

Despite their friends' death, Macerator and Kickback charged. "You two get out of here! I'll deal with them!" Ironhide told Cade and Izabella, firing his cannons. Macerator used his size to brush off the projectiles while Kickback circled around, going after Cade. The grey Con towered over them but was knocked back by Adam who had fired his weapon from the roof. Cade joined him and fired his own rifle. Kickback stumbled back a bit, before he was caught in a wrestling match with Evac, who had just arrived.

Back with Macerator, the large Con grabbed Ironhide and threw him against a building. Bringing out an axe, Macerator prepared to strike when Warpath attacked from behind. Firing his chest plasma cannon, he left a large hole in the Con's chest. Pushing his corpse aside, Warpath helped up Ironhide. "Getting sloppy in your old age, Ironhide?" Warpath asked jokingly.

"Shut it, kid." Ironhide huffed. The two joined to help the femmes, who were fighting against Brimstone and Tankor.

Meanwhile, Hardtop had taken cover behind a building, his sniper rifle at the ready. Peaking over the building's roof, he spotted Hailstorm engaging Bumblebee and Ratchet. The two Autobots were forced to take cover as Hailstorm unleashed his missile salvo on them. Raising his rifle, Hardtop took aim at Bumblebee's head, preparing to blow it clean off. Before he could take the shot though, he was tackled by Mirage, who had spotted the Decepticon sniper. As Hardtop fell to the ground, Mirage revealed his hook blades, and then severed the Con's head from his body.

That's when Ransack came in, firing his machine guns at the red mech, knocking Mirage off balance. As Ransack prepared to finish him off, he was unprepared when Skids and Mudflap pulled a crazy stunt such as jumping from the nearby roofs. Both bots grabbed onto Ransack's wings. The twins' extra weight caused the elder Cybertronian to hit the ground, transforming at the same time.

"Damn brats!" Ransack roared as he tried to get the Twins off him. "Don't you know who I am?! I am Ransack! One of the ancient Seekers of the Fallen! I-"

Ransack's ranting was cut off when Mudflap punched the Con in the face. "Ah, like we care who you are, bitchin geezer!" Mudflap exclaimed as he and Skids continued punching the old mech.

Armorhide fired his weapon at Skystalker. The Con dodged the barrage of explosive energy packets before pouncing on his opponent. Bringing out one of his scythes, Skystalker tried to cut through Armorhide's chest to reach his spark. Growling, Armorhide held the weapon back, before his optics spotted a knocked over telephone pole. Grabbing it, the Autobot rammed it into Skystalker's shoulder joints. The Con roared as he backed up, allowing Armorhide to get back up.

"Slagging Autobot! That's dirty!" Skystalker shouted as he tried to pull out the pole.

"Deal with it, Con!" Armorhide counter before firing his weapon. The close range between them caused the plasma projectile to shoot right through Skystalker's chest, killing him on impact.

Gunbarrel was having less luck in his fight. Crosshairs and Drift immediately ganged up on him. He had tried to counter with his machine guns but wasn't able to stop the samurai Autobot from cutting off one of his legs, followed by Crosshairs who fired Gunbarrel in the chest. The Con fell backwards, allowing Drift to run across his chest before stabbing the Con through both the head and chest.

Jumping off the corpse, Drift shook the energon off his blades. "Hahaha! Fantastic!" Drift exclaimed.

Crosshairs twirled his machine pistols. "That's how it's done ugh!"

The paratrooper's comment was cut off when an energy projectile struck him. The blow sent Crosshairs flying into a building. Dust kicked into the air from the impact. He was still alive but couldn't move.

"Crosshairs!" Drift shouted. He turned towards the source of the attack and his optics widened.

Walking towards him was Bludgeon. The Con's electric cannons retracted from the back of his shoulders. In both hands were energized katanas. His skull-like face grinned as he stared at Drift. "It's been a long time, Deadlock." Bludgeon said.

Drift frowned as he got into a fighting stance. "That mech died a long time ago, Bludgeon." He said as he raised his swords.

"By the end of this day, both you and him will be dead." Bludgeon declared before the two former comrades clashed. Sparks flew into the air every time their blades struck one another.

From his perch on a nearby roof, Mindwipe watched as his companion dueled his former student. The hypnotist was thinking of what to do when his scanners picked up five energon signatures heading towards them. Raising his head, Mindwipe zoomed in on the sources' location. What he saw were five Earth vehicles. From front to back were a yellow Honda NSX, a red Dodge Viper, a black Ford GT, a white Lamborghini Huracán, and finally and black and grey Kenworth W900. Chuckling, Mindwipe muttered, "Looks like things are getting interesting."

Cliffjumper had just delivered an uppercut to Onslaught when several cars nearly knocked him over. "What the scrap?!" The red mech exclaimed before going to cover when Onslaught fired his subsonic minigun.

Megatron threw off Steeljaw when he saw the new arrivals. "Stunticons! Show the Autobots your new power and slaughter them!" Megatron ordered.

"As you command, Lord Megatron!" Motormaster, the truck said. The Stunticon leader transformed and looked at his subordinates. "Combine into Menasor!" He shouted as he transformed into a large chest.

Drag Strip, the Honda NSX, transformed into a right arm. The Dodge Viper, Dead End, turned into a left arm. Next were Wildrider, the Ford GT, and Breakdown, the Lamborghini Huracán, transformed into left and right leg respectively. When the four attached to Motormaster, a large head popped up from the top. All the other combatants stopped when they saw the now large Cybertronian.

"Mensaor! Destroy!" The combiner shouted, firing his arm mounted double-barrel concussion cannons at Cliffjumper. Brawn immediately grabbed the red mech and used his more durable body to take in most of the damage. The blast still sent the two mechs flying. Menasor proceeded to fire more blasts, forcing the other Autobots to cover. Ironhide and Warpath opened fire on Menasor, causing the combiner to fire his shoulder mounted missile launchers at the two large Autobots. The explosions sent them to cover. The Aerialbots were unable to help as they were still facing against some of the Decepticon flyers.

Back with the humans, Jimmy was hiding underneath the couch he was previously sitting on, just as Adam, Cade and Izabella came running in. "Holy shit, that thing is huge!" Jimmy shouted.

"I think that's a combiner. Ratchet told me about those things. It's a lost art from the Dynasty of Primes." Cade said as he took cover behind a dusty desk.

"That's great and all, but how do we kill it? None of the Autobots have the firepower to take that thing on, and those other Cons are just going to keep attacking." Adam added.

"You got that right, fleshling!" A voice yelled, just as a red motorcycle crashed through the hotel door. Reverb quickly transformed and brought out his plasma gun, firing at the four humans. Jimmy screamed as he ducked for cover, followed by Izzy while Adam and Cade tried to fire back. But the Con was just to nimble, dodging their attacks while firing back his own.

"Lord Megatron, I have the talisman in sight. Preparing to retrieve it-" Reverb's communication was cut off when a powerful laser beam hit him from behind. The force blew a large hole in the Con's chest and tore off his right arm too. As the body fell, it revealed the shooter, a certain mini-con hovering in the air thanks to his jet pack.

"Rewind!" Adam exclaimed, happy to see his best friend.

Rewind smiled. "Sup. Hope you don't mind me cutting in. I brought some help too." He said as a large shadow engulfed the town.

Back outside, Fearswoop had pinned down Prowl and Sideswipe, firing a barrage of plasma bolts. As their cover began to wear down, the orange Con readied his rockets. "Looks like I'll be _mowing_ down some Auto-weeds! Ha! Get it?" Fearswoop asked as he prepared to fire. Before he could, however, he felt himself being pulled backwards. The Con could only scream as he was trapped in the tractor beam, before being swiftly crushed by Omega's fingers. The giant Autobot threw the remains to the side and then focusing on the remaining Decepticons.

"Autobots: In danger. Weapons: Online. Engaging Decepticons." Omega said as he morphed his right hand into his plasma blaster before firing at the Decepticons. He fired his left-arm thermo rocket launcher and right-arm photon laser cannon at the Decepticons and then at Menasor. The Decepticon combiner grunted as the beam burnt his chassis. The giant Autobot then unleashed his wings and chest mounted neutron turrets.

The barrage delivered by Omega began to overwhelm the Decepticons. With the big guy backing them up now, the Autobots added their own firepower into the mix. The surviving Cons had to take cover or run in order not to get hit. Megatron had managed to dodge a rocket before deciding to pull back. "Decepticons! Retreat!" He ordered as he transformed and took off. Following him were Barricade, Nitro Zeus, Mohawk, Onslaught, Bludgeon, Cyclonus, Blademaster, Tankor, Vortex, Brimstone, Scowl, Mindwipe, Kickback, Space Case, Hailstorm, Terradive, Dirt Boss, Ransack, Lugnutz, and Blitzwing. The Stunticons quickly disconnected and joined the others.

"They're falling back!" Inferno shouted as he fired his Photon Pistol.

"That's right! Chickens!" Shouted Crosshairs, who had managed to get back up from Bludgeon's surprise attack.

"We were lucky, Crosshairs." Prowl said as he and the others regrouped. "If Omega Supreme had not arrived, this could've turned out very differently. Anyway, sound off"

He got various responses from the others. "We're all in here and in one piece. Mostly." Brawn replied as he got up. The blast from Menasor's weapon had shaken him a bit, but the robust Autobot recovered quickly.

The coms suddenly came to life. :Prowl! Prowl, do you read me?!: Cosmos shouted desperately.

Wondering what was causing the scout to sound so scared, Prowl immediately replied, "I'm here, Cosmos. What's the situation?"

:A few seconds ago, something, or someone, just flew by me at an incredible speed. I'm picking up large energy signature, and it's heading right towards you!: Cosmos reported.

"I'm also detecting multiple TRF drones approaching the town. They're heading towards the humans." Armorhide added as he saw several flying objects approaching them.

BOOM!

A loud explosion caught their attention next. Turning around, the Autobots were shocked to see Omega Supreme being hit from behind. As the behemoth Autobot fell, his attacker appeared in the sky and then transformed into his robot mode. The Autobots readied their weapons, while Ratchet and Jolt ran over to help Omega.

Standing up, Thunderwing looked down at his smaller opponents. "So" He began "I'm looking for some humans. Have you seen them?"

 **Things are starting to heat up! I wanted to add more but didn't want to keep you folks waiting any longer. Be sure to leave a review!**


	7. Town Fight Part 2

**Part two of the battle. Enjoy and review!**

 **(Thirty Minutes Ago, TRF Unit)**

The convoy was driving towards where their drones had found the Autobots before being shot down. Four black armored SUVs were up ahead, while the rest were coming up from behind, including ASV, an armored van that was their mobile command, and two Apaches overhead.

"Latest feed shows the targets heading to a nearby abandoned town." A soldier reported.

"Remember, our goal is to detain Cade Yeager. That means alive." Lennox said through the radio. "Be advise, the Autobots _will_ defend themselves if they feel threatened."

Santos snorted. "Yeah well, we'll see how that goes." He muttered.

Suddenly, the computers began to make noise. Moving to check, the computer tech said, "Sir, we're detecting large seismic movement up ahead."

As if on cue, the road ahead exploded. Coming out of the ground were the Dinobots, roaring through the smoke and debris. The forward SUVs didn't stand a chance as they were smacked, stomped and tossed aside by the large Cybertronians. One of the Apaches tried to take a shot, only to lose balance when Swoop smacked his tail against the helicopter's rotor. They made no move towards the others as the rest of the convoy stopped upon seeing the destruction wrought by the Dinobots. The remaining Apache fell back, staying in position but the pilot kept an eye on Swoop.

The soldiers immediately disembarked from their vehicles. Epps looked through his binoculars and whistled. "Damn, those are some big ass Dinosaurs." He remarked.

"Doesn't look like they're going to attack, Colonel." Graham said to Lennox. "Guess they're just making sure we don't get in the way."

Lennox didn't say anything. From the corner of his eye he saw Santos marching towards the command vehicle. Running up to him, Lennox said. "Remember, Yeager is needed alive. He has vital information on a dangerous weapon." Lennox reminded the TRF commander. He knew that the death of those soldiers would anger the former Delta operator.

And right he was. "This is a TRF operation only, stay out of my way." Santos said before glaring at Lennox. " _Those_ were my men." He said before roughly pushing Lennox backed.

On Santos's orders, multiple aerial drones were dispatched. Under the control from the computers in the carrier, they made their way off towards the town where the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting. Lennox could only watch as the drones took off. He could only hope that this would not get any worse. Looking back at the Dinobots, he watched as Grimlock turned around, while the others remained where they were, watching over the TRF from a distance. The Colonel could only assume that the T-Rex was going to aid the Autobots.

A honk caught Lennox's direction. Coming from the opposite direction was a large, blue Freightliner Cascadia Semi-Trailer Truck. Behind it was a dark and light green T-98 Kombat. They were both driving straight towards the halted convoy. Naturally, some TRF soldiers tried to halt the oncoming vehicles to no avail. As they got closer, Lennox finally noticed the Autobot emblem on the front of the truck.

"Move!" Lennox shouted to the soldiers as he pushed one of the men out of the way. The ASV had already moved to the side as the Freightliner bashed aside the TRF vehicles as it drove through. Sending a signal through Autobot frequency, the Dinobots made room for the truck to drive by.

Some TRF soldiers tried to fire on the Kombat as it kept driving. But the armored car unexpectedly transformed into a Boeing AH-64 Apache. It flew over the soldiers and easily passed by the remaining TRF chopper before heading towards the town.

As the soldiers were helping the others and checking on their vehicles, Graham walked up to Lennox. "Bloody hell. Think that was Prime?" The British soldier asked.

"Maybe" Lennox replied. "Whoever it is, the Decepticons are in for a surprise."

 **(Back with the Autobots)**

"Take cover!" Salvage shouted as he, Skids, and Cliffjumper jumped out of the way as a laser beam struck the ground where they once stood. Mudflap joined them as he was sent flying, crashing on top of his brother. The twins bickered as Salvage and Cliffjumper fired their plasma cannons.

Seconds after landing, Thunderwing had begun his attack. Releasing a powerful electromagnetic pulse, the shock wave caused the Autobots to be knocked back, along with nearby buildings. Once that was done, he unveiled his arm-mounted laser concussion blasters, the large Cybertronian opened fired on the Autobots. Quickly, the others managed to recover and headed for cover. Ratchet and Jolt immediately dashed for Omega, who had taken damage from Thunderwing's surprise attack. The giant mech had scorch marks on his back, small leaks of energon dripping out from the wounds.

"Who the scrap is this guy?" Ironhide shouted as he fired his shell cannons. The projectiles merely bounced off Thunderwing's armor.

"Whoever he is, he's tough!" Brawn replied, shooting behind a building.

The femmes raced by, firing at Thunderwing as they passed him. The large mech tried to stomp on them, but their speed made it impossible. They continued shooting him, hitting him in the face. Though their photon bolts did nothing but annoy him, Thunderwing became angry enough that he released a concentrated stream of fire from his mouth. The sisters had just barely gotten out of the path of the flames, which consumed the ground and buildings.

Thunderwing became distracted by the Wreckers, who fired their chainguns at the giant mech. Turning his blasters towards them, the silver purple mech was going to shoot, when Bumblebee and Sideswipe jumped on his back. Hanging onto his shoulders, the two bots fired at Thunderwing's face, causing the mech to growl. Their attacks did little damage even up close, as Thunderwing grabbed the two Autobots and threw them aside.

Grimlock tried his luck next. Biting down on Thunderwing's arm, the Dinobot leader managed to throw the large mech into a building. The metal T-Rex followed it up with a torrent of flames, consuming Thunderwing. That did little to stop him though, as Thunderwing immediately recovered and grabbed Grimlock by the neck with one hand, while using the other to close Grimlock's mouth shut.

"Useless, obsolete Knight!" Thunderwing roared as he tried to tear the Dinobot's head off.

Fortunately, Grimlock was able to escape by transforming into his robot mode. With a growl, the Vanguard Leader swung his mace at Thunderwing, hitting his opponent with his mace before delivering an upper cut to the chin. Thunderwing was not deterred however, and simply kicked Grimlock back before firing his blasters. The lasers hit Grimlock square in the chest, sending the Dinobot rolling backwards. Thunderwing was going to finish the Knight off but was cut off when the other Autobots continued their assault on the large mech.

The Aerialbots took the stage this time. They did a dive and fired at Thunderwing, unleashing their rockets. This actually made the large mech stumble a bit but left no visible damage on his armor. Growling, Thunderwing glared up at the three flyers as they did a turn. The turbines on his wings shifted, spinning around and hovering over his shoulders. They began glowing as Thunderwing took aim.

From his cover, Jazz saw what was happening. "Silverbolt! Get your team back, now!" The saboteur cried.

The warning came to late. Thunderwing fired proton missiles from the two launchers. The Aerialbots only had a few seconds to move out of the way before the missiles exploded. Though they avoided a direct hit, the three flyers were sent crashing down into the ground, putting them out of the fight.

"Slag!" Jazz cursed as he fired another photon bolt at Thunderwing. "Longarm, Brawn, Cliffjumper! Check on those three and get them out of the line of fire!" He ordered.

From a far, the humans watched as the Autobots fought Thunderwing. However, before they could even decide on what to do next, a whirring sound caught their attention. Closing in on them was the swarm of TRF drones. They locked onto the humans and moved in.

"Run!" Cade said. "Run now, move you three!" He ordered as he, Jimmy, Adam and Izzy started running.

"Those things are supposed to hunt terrorists, not taxpaying Americans… not that I pay taxes anyway!" Jimmy said as he ran after Cade to another old building.

The four immediately took the stairs, running quickly. When they reached the third floor, they stopped. The inventor waited to see if the drones would enter. The sound of machine gun fire and shattering glassed indicated a yes. The drones' whirring was amplified inside. The TRF drones pursued them. Cade took shots at the drones with his rifle as he ran. He led his companions through several rooms and up a few more floors.

"Look! Over there!" Adam shouted, pointing to a nearby large room. Cade immediately ushered the other three inside said room.

The room had a few pillars supported the ceiling. Debris filled the place, including overturned beds, tables, shelves and other random items. It looked like a former hospital room. The four took hiding spots, keeping quiet as they listened for the drones' whirling.

The wait wasn't long as three drones flew into the room slowly. Cade held his breath as they began scanning the room. He peered through a ripped sheet handing off the bed he was hiding behind. Unfortunately, that's all it took as a drone spotted the inventor and opened fire. Cade stood up and brought it down with one shot from his alien pistol. The other drones began to fire. Springing up from his hiding spot, a broken shelf, Adam brought down his axe on another drone, cutting it down. The young hybrid immediately took cover behind a nearby pillar before the last drone could spot him.

The final drone focused its attention on Cade. That's when Jimmy ran up and stood in front of a pillar, hands in the air. The drone immediately stopped firing.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cade asked.

"They use facial recognition software." Jimmy explained. "They won't fire on someone if they're not a target."

Cade was unconvinced. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Stay behind me!"

"Don't do this!"

"I got this. Just stay behind me."

"Jimmy, don't do this!"

"It's not even shooting." Jimmy said. The young man relaxed as the drone was face-to-face with him. Then metal plating on the drone slid into place.

Cade saw this. "Shit!" There was a loud thump followed by Jimmy flying through the weak wall behind him. Cade pivoted out of cover and shot the drone. The drone hit the floor but was not out. Izabella, who was nearby, grabbed a broken bed leg and impaled it into an opening between the plating. Adam finished the drone with a shot from his crossbow. Meanwhile, Cade rushed over to the hole that Jimmy went through. Jimmy was laying on the ground with a few planks of wood on top of him. "Oh my god, you okay, man?" Cade asked.

The young man coughed and looked at the inventor. "Cade… I just wanna tell you… I love you, man."

The inventor just gave Jimmy a look as if he was an idiot. "What the hell are you babbling about?" Asked Cade.

"This job wasn't what I thought, but I appreciate everything." Jimmy continued.

"I have no clue what you're doing?" Cade said.

"I'm dying here, man!"

Adam and Izzy walked over to the hole. Both stared at Jimmy incredulously. The former was holding something. "Dude, you got hit by a beanbag." Adam said.

Slowly lifting his head, Jimmy checked his chest. "There's no hole?"

"No hole. No blood. Nothing, now get up." Cade said as Jimmy quickly gathered himself, trying to recover his lost of pride as Cade told him to hurry.

The four ran out of the building, back onto the street. Even from their spot, the sound of battle could still be heard. They could even see the upper part of Thunderwing's body, as well as Omega Supreme, naturally. Cade turned his attention and looked around until he spotted what looked to be a large hotel or business building that had long fell into disrepair. He led the other three into the building.

"You know, running won't get the rest of those drones off our backs." Adam commented as they ran inside.

Izabella than brought up something. "There's always one in charge! I saw a bigger one with them!" She said.

"Okay, we take out the big one, the rest will go with it!" Cade planned.

They reached the elevators and called one down. When it arrived, they quickly filed inside. The back of the elevator was glass that allowed a view outside the building. Cade, Adam and Izzy looked for any signs of the drones. Their attention was diverted when Jimmy screamed.

"Oh my god! A leprechaun!" Jimmy exclaimed.

Standing in the corner of the elevator was a humanoid Cybetronian. He was around their height and had blue optics. Cade noted that he had a steampunk look. His optics seemed to twitch frequently too.

"Who the hell are you?" Cade asked, moving in front of Izzy and Adam.

"Leprechauns are tiny, green, and Irish." The mech said in a voice that made him sound like an uptight British butler. "and that is offensive." He noticed Izabella staring at him. "What are you looking at, little girl?"

The mech then bowed his head to Cade. "Greeting, Master Cade. I've come to collet you and Master Adam." He then did the same gesture towards Adam. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Master Adam. You've grown much since the last time I saw you."

That made Adam give him a questioning look. "I'm sorry, have we met before…?"

"Cogman, sir. At your service." The mech replied. "And yes, we have met. But you were a baby at the time, so I do not blame you for not remembering me. Now, I believe it's time for us to go."

"No, no, no. You're not collecting shit." Cade said as he went to grab the mech. However, Cogman dodged out of the way and began throwing punches at the inventor. "Eh! What's your deal?"

"So, you want to play rough, huh?" Cogman asked, getting into a boxing stance.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. They were all greeted to the sight of a single TRF drone. The silver mech moved out of the way as the drone flew forward and collided with Cade, taking the inventor out of the glass window of the elevator. He hung on for dear life as the drone tried to correct it flight but could not with the added weight. His friends shouted from the elevator, but Cade could not hear what was being said over the drone's motor. The thing flew him into the side of buildings. He honestly thought he was going to lose his grip and fall to his death. Below him, the Autobots' battle with Thunderwing had entered that part of the town. Explosives were flying everywhere now as weapons fired. If the fall from the height didn't kill the Cade, then the explosions most likely would.

The drone finally smashed into the roof of the building next to the one he was in. Sliding down, Cade managed to grab onto a flag pole and dangled over the edge. Another drone came by, firing upon him. He felt something hit his chest, the force causing him to lose his grip and fall a short distance to the lower roof below. Cade checked the spot where he felt the bullet hit him. All he found was a hole in his shirt and the talisman attached to his upper right chest. The thing somehow moved from his arm to where it was now. If it wasn't for that though, the bullet would have torn through his right lung.

Meanwhile, down below, Adam, Jimmy and Izabella had exited the building, followed by Cogman. The mech appeared to be talking to someone, having pulled out an old phone from his chest. That was when Sqweeks appeared, clicking like mad as he rolled up to Izabella. Around the same time, Thunderwing was tackled by Ironhide, Armorhide and Warpath. The larger mech managed to throw them off before focusing his optics on the humans and smaller mechs. He reached out for Sqweeks.

"Sqweeks, look out!" Izzy shouted as she ran up to her friend.

Adam raised his crossbow and fired an energy bolt at Thunderwing. The shot hit the mech in the face, causing him to hiss at the sting. "Good shot, Master Adam!" Cogman congratulated as Adam ran over to help Izabella and Sqweeks.

Unfortunately, Thunderwing was less than pleased. Standing up, he brought out his chest-mounted Cyclone Cannon. The four-barreled cannon fired energy projectiles from each barrel, quickly merging into a single larger one with greater speed. It headed straight towards the three. Adam only had seconds to push Izabella and Sqweeks out of the way before the projectile struck. The explosion sent all three of them flying, however Adam's landing was less graceful. The young man slammed against a building wall hard, and smoke could be seen rising off him. His clothes were slightly burned too.

"Adam!" Izzy screamed in horror as she got up.

Thunderwing ignored the girl. He reached out, preparing to grab Adam, who he could tell was still alive thanks to his scanners. Before the mech could grab the boy, however, the blue Freightliner appeared. It drove straight into Thunderwing's legs, knocking the large mech over. Cogman took that chance to pick Adam up and move him to safety.

The Freightliner than transformed. It took on the form of a large blue and white mech, who was a few inches taller than Optimus Prime. He had a bulky build and bigger chassis. The mech had what looked like retracted cannons on his back, missile pods on his shoulders, and extra guards on his thighs, arms and legs.

"Ultra Magnus…" Ironhide as he tangled himself from Armorhide.

The mech, Ultra Magnus, immediately pulled out a large battle hammer with jet thrusters installed into it. Swinging the hammer, the opposite end released propulsive energy that increased its speed (A/N: It's like the Rocket Hammer used by Reinhardt from Overwatch) before striking Thunderwing in the face. The larger mech looked to be in pain from that blow, energon flying out of his mouth. Magnus delivered several more hits, sending Thunderwing staggering backwards. Snarling, Thunderwing raised his arm-mounted Concussion Blasters, firing barrage of lasers.

Magnus did a barrel-roll, putting away his hammer and then drawing his neutron blaster. Getting down on one knee, the large Autobot unloaded his eight-barrel weapon, unleashing 600 neutron rounds per second. He also fired his shoulder missiles at Thunderwing, being joined in by the Apache that followed him.

As the other Autobots began to regroup, a familiar Tiger Helicopter appeared before transforming. Tomahawk landed beside Crosshairs. "You guys okay?" The flyer asked.

"What the slag took you guys so long?" Crosshairs asked as he watched Blazemaster join in on attacking Thunderwing. Stratosphere transformed and landed on the ground, readying his weapons.

"Air traffic" Was all Tomahawk said, bringing out his machine guns.

Back with Thunderwing, the mech took notice of the additional Autobots that had just appeared, with the others also coming. He also saw Omega Supreme slowly getting up, that's what made Thunderwing realized that perhaps it was time to retreat. Thus, Thunderwing ignored the projectiles hitting his armor, and transformed. The shuttlecraft took off, kicking off dust as the mech flew away.

"That's right! You better run, you bastard!" Ironhide bellowed as he fired his autocannons.

"Stand down, Ironhide." Magnus ordered as he put away his blaster. "Springer" He said to the Apache, who transformed into a green mech. "Help the others with the wounded. I'll contact Gears to land the ship."

"Ship? Did someone say ship?" Crosshairs asked, but his question was ignored as Cade and Izabella ran to Adam's side. Said boy was gently placed down on the ground by Cogman.

"Adam! Adam, talk to me, kid!" Cade yelled as he checked over the young hybrid. Rewind also joined them, scanning his friend's vitals. Evac and the others had finally arrived, and his optics widened at the sight of Adam's injured form. "Ratchet! We got a man down!" Evac called out.

"I can see no injuries that are fatal on Master Adam." Cogman reported, relief in his voicebox. He looked at Cade. "Though my orders were to bring both of you, I'm afraid Master Adam is in no condition to accompany us. So, you must come with me alone."

Cade brushed aside Cogman. "Go with you? Go where? And why the hell are you even here?" The inventor demanded as he stepped back to let Ratchet scan Adam.

"I am here because of that," Cogman pointed to the ground next to Cade. There sat the talisman. How did that come off? "And that is here because of _you_." Cade picked up the talisman, only to regret it began to stick to him and slide up his sleeve. "It will not leave you until you've fulfilled your quest. You have been chosen."

"What do you mean chosen?" Cade asked, trying, and failing, to shake the talisman off.

"I will explain everything if you come with me." Cogman said.

Crosshairs walked up behind Cogman, staring down at the smaller Cybertronian. "I'll swat this metal cockroach for ya, Cade." He said as he made to reach Cogman.

Without looking, Cogman grabbed Crosshairs digit and twisted it. Crosshairs fell to the ground, yelling in pain as his digit sparked. Skids and Mudflap charged Cogman from the sides but were foiled when the butler mech jumped into the air and did a spin. He kicked the twins in the face, sending them sprawling backwards onto the ground. Cade just gawked, watching this all.

"Ow, dat hurt man!" Skids shouted.

Mudflap groaned, rubbing his head. "Crazy ninja a-hole."

"Don't kill the messenger, or the messenger will kill you." Cogman said and turned back to Cade. "Now, I'm afraid all this ballyhoo is on your account. If you want to save your friends, you will leave them, and come with me to England. I have a plane ready."

"And why should I go with you? I've got no reason to trust some crazy ninja butler." Cade said.

"Cade Yeager" Ultra Magnus said, calmly approaching the human and Cogman. He made sure to give Ratchet some space as he worked. "I've heard many things about you from the human Internet, and your efforts to help my fellow Autobots. However, there are things you are unware of, things that will affect both Cybertronians and humans. While the current situation is not the most suitable, I believe that traveling with, Cogman was it, would be the best course of action."

"As Ultra Magnus said, it is the wisest choice. Your friends will be safe in your absence." Cogman replied. "In your presence, unsafe. You are more important than you can possibly imagine. You are needed, sir. Urgently." Cade stood up. "My master often says that the important decisions in life often come down to one moment."

 **(Megatron's Team)**

The survivors of the botch attack were recovering near the borders towards Iowa. Most of the Decepticons were busy licking their wounds, while Barricade and Megatron were speaking from afar.

"I've contacted Astrotrain, lord. He'll transport our ground members and follow you and the others." Barricade said to Megatron.

The Decepticon leader nodded. "Good. According to Soundwave, Cade Yeager and the talisman are heading towards the country, England. We shall rendezvous with Fracture's team and continue the hunt from there." Megatron said.

"Lord Megatron, why do we allow those TRF soldiers to continue monitoring us? Would it not be simpler to remove the GPS trackers? We can easily do it." Onslaught asked as he approached Megatron.

"The TRF have their uses. Their presence will pressure Yeager and the Autobots to continue running and will take most of the damage while the rest of our forces prepare for Cybertron's arrival." Megatron explained. "I highly expect them to double cross us once Yeager and the talisman have been captured but that will be dealt when the time comes."

That's when Megatron's coms came alive. :My Liege, this is Shockwave. I have just been contacted by a Decepticon defector who is heading towards your location now.: The second-in-command said.

"Understood, Shockwave" Megatron said as his scanners picked up an approaching energon signature. The rest of the Decepticons all got up when they spotted a dark green Infiniti Q60 driving up to them. Some prepared their weapons but stood down when Megatron raised his hand. The car immediately transformed into a Cybertronian around Barricade's height. He had a thin build, and claws at the end of his fingers. On the back of his hands were tubes, giving the claws the appearance of syringes. Attached to the side of his mouthplate were what looked like two gas mask tubes on his jaw. Pipes trailed down from them and ended to his shoulders. Parts of a retractable mask could be seen on his head. His red optics spun as they focused on Megatron.

Megatron immediately recognized the Cybertronian. "Oil Slick, chemist specialist and defector. You joined Lockdown's crew from last I remembered." He growled.

"That was in the past." Oil Slick said. The way he talked made it sound like he was speaking out of a gas mask, venting out air. "After Hangnail was killed, I became Lockdown's SIC. Until he was killed by Optimus and the _Axalon_ was shot down by that giant mech. I managed to get out before it took anymore damage. The others were forced in stasis lock by the ship's protocols."

"So, what it is you're offering? The ship's location in exchange for your pardon from defecting?" Megatron questioned.

"That, and an army of trained Cybertronian soldiers, advanced weapons and vehicles for you and your forces to use." Oil Slick added.

Megatron eyed Oil Slick carefully, while processing this bit of information. On one hand, it would just be easier to kill him right now, as he does with all traitors. However, the _Axalon_ was one of the most advanced ships built since the Dynasty of Primes fell. It and its horde of secrets, as well as mercenaries, would be a welcome addition to his forces. "Very well, Oil Slick. I shall give you this once chance to prove yourself to rejoin our ranks. However," Megatron revealed a blade underneath his Fusion Cannon and held it in front of the Con's face. "Fail me, and I will have you drowned in your own chemicals."

Once he made sure he got his point, Megatron contacted Shockwave. "Shockwave, are there any additional forces current available?"

:There is indeed one, Lord Megatron. The Mayhem Attack Squad has just finished their mission in locating the center point of the horns that links to Unicron's spark. I shall have them prepared in the hour: Shockwave reported.

"Excellent. Once Astrotrain drops my team off in England, I shall have him come and pick Smolder's team up and transport them and Oil Slick to where the _Axalon_ is." Megatron explained.

At that moment, a large purple grey NASA space shuttle flew down from the sky. It landed in front of Megatron. "Ready for pick-up, Lord Megatron." Astrotrain said as the doors opened.

"Barricade, Onslaught, get the troops on board. This hunt is not over yet." Megatron ordered before transforming and taking off, followed by Nitro Zeus and the other flyers.

 **(TRF Convoy)**

Santos stared at the fiery wreckage of armored SUVs. The dinosaurs had already left, most likely to regroup with the other Autobots who have already left the abandoned town. Clean-up teams were already retrieving the remains of the dead Decepticons, while medics were helping the wounded soldiers. Count was 10 injured but in stable condition. And the Colonel wanted to go easy on the Autobots. You don't go easy with those things. Didn't matter what faction they belonged too, all Cybertronians were the same. The only thing you could do was take them down hard, way hard.

"I'm sorry about your men." Lennox said as he walked up beside the Commander. "Trust me, I know the feeling."

"I would feel comforted if you didn't try and protect these monsters at every damn turn." Santos growled towards the Colonel. He then headed back to the ASV. Lennox followed behind him. The remaining TRF soldiers gathered around as the two officers approached.

"Before they were shot down, the scout drones were able to track Yeager. He and that yellow bot followed some human-size robot onto an older World War 2 bomber. Last known sighting was that it was heading for England." Lennox explained. "General Morshower has already been notified and is contacting MI6. The GPS trackers on the Decepticons also show that Megatron is heading there too. Remember, while we have an agreement with the, the Cons are not our friends. With that said, prep up and get ready to move. We're going to Great Britain."

 **(An Hour Later, Autobot Forward Base)**

The Autobots had managed to regroup back to the junkyard. Somehow, they got Omega Supreme back without much difficulties, the giant mech sitting on his back while the Wreckers looked over him. The Autobots who were wounded were in the medical room, along with Adam. The others who were not injured were currently in the command room, where Ultra Magnus was. Izzy wanted to remain next to Adam, feeling partially responsible for his current state. Jimmy was sleeping in his trailer, the whole fiasco too much for him to handle. Cade had left with Cogman a while ago, with Bumblebee accompanying him.

Along with Springer, three more mechs had come with Ultra Magnus, aboard his vessel, the Iron Will. One was Gears, a white mech with a Toyota Sequoia alt mode. The other two were members of a team called Protectobots, First Aid, white and red mech, as well as a former student of Ratchet that transformed into a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Ambulance, and Blades, with a red and white Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin alt mode. First Aid had assisted Ratchet and Jolt with treating the injured. They had also managed to stabilize Adam, and heal most of his wounds, though he was still in a coma.

"Now that we're all assembled, I shall explain everything." Ultra Magnus said to the gathered Autobots. "Four Earth years ago, I was tracking the Star Seekers, a group of Cybertronians who have resorted to piracy, raiding entire worlds for energon in order to survive. I had picked up Springer and Gears along the way during my pursuit when I made a startling discovery…Cybertron is moving and is currently heading towards Earth."

 _That_ got the Autobots' attention. "Cybertron is moving?! How is that possible?" Drift asked.

"I don't know, though I suspect its caused by the strange power source I had picked up when I traveled to the planet. I can only assume that it is done by these 'Creators' you told me about." Magnus said. "I decided to come here to Earth to inform you all of this."

"That's when we ran into First Aid and Blades." Springer said, picking up the conversation. "Their team, the Protectobots, were captured sometime ago and experimented on by Flatline and Shockwave. Apparently the two Cons are trying to replicate the Combiner process. Those two managed to escape and run into us."

"Last scans indicate the rest of the Protectobots were moved to Cybertron, perhaps to be experimented on." Revealed Ultra Magnus. "I plan on infiltrating the planet and freeing them, as well as any other prisoners that might be there. I'll need Cosmos's help though." Magnus said to Prowl.

The white and black mech nodded. "I'll tell him of the situation. He'll be waiting for you up in Earth's orbit. However, this also changes in the situation. The only other place that has many Autobots is Cuba, and perhaps where ever Cade and Bumblebee are going. And majority of refugees in that country are not fighters. If this is a Decepticon ploy, I don't know if we'll be able to hold."

"That's why we need a damn ship." Hound grumbled. The commando had been fixed up by Ratchet and was now here in the meeting.

"Daytrader says he finally found one, the one we've been looking for. That's why Wheeljack went with him, to make sure it's operational." Prowl revealed. "Unfortunately, all we can do now is wait for them to contact us."

"While you do that, I shall prepare my team to head to Cybertron and rescue the remaining Protectobots. Perhaps we'll even figure out who or what is piloting the planet. Prowl, Jazz, if you two could come with me." Ultra Magnus said as he ended the meeting. While everyone went off to do his or her own thing, Magnus led the two smaller mechs into a hallway. Once the door closed, the ranking officer looked at the others. "I did not want to reveal this in front of the others, in fear of how it might affect their morale. A few days ago, while making following Cybertron, we picked up Prime's energy signature near the planet."

"Optimus!" Jazz exclaimed. Prowl also seemed rather shock too. "What's he doing on Cybertron? Do you think the boss man was captured or something?"

"I tried contacting him, but his transmitter was jammed. If that is the case, then it is a possibility he is being held captive." Magnus replied. "Rest assured, I will make sure Optimus is rescued. I said I was going to save any prisoners we find, did I not?"

Prowl and Jazz looked at each other. Both of them wanted to go with Magnus to see if Prime had truly been captured. They knew though, that if they did so the others would grow curious and want to know what made them decide that. And Magnus's ship did not have enough room for all of them. Plus, it would leave the base undermanned. With that in mind, Prowl looked at the taller mech. "In that case, Magnus, we'll leave it in your hands, sir."

Ultra Magnus nodded in thanks and then proceeded towards where his ship was parked.

 **(Bermuda Triangle)**

The region known as the Bermuda Triangle, or Devil's Triangle, had always been one of mystery and superstition due to the large number of ships and planes that have disappeared going through it. There have been many theories towards the reason why, some logical and others ridiculous. However, the truth was far more sinister.

In his shuttlecraft form, Thunderwing had already entered the triangle, flying through the thick clouds, violent storms and hurricanes that covered the region. He eventually reached a small island with multiple jagged rocks, with a larger tunnel in the center. Thunderwing flew straight into the cave, going deeper and deeper into the Earth.

After ten minutes of flying, Thunderwing transformed and landed on a metal ground. The large cavern was covered in black metallic walls, with crisscrossed metal web-like beams all over the place. A platform in the center of the floor, near where Thunderwing landed, began to shift and transform. After it fully transformed, a Cybertronian double the height of his large frame own looked down upon him. His jagged armor made him look terrifying. Pointed shoulders, feet, claws, and horns on the top of his head made the individual look like the Devil.

Thunderwing immediately got to one knee, bowing his head towards the intimidating entity. "My Lord and one true master, Unicron." Thunderwing said in reverence.

" **Arise Thunderwing, my herald."** The Chaos-Bringer, Unicron, said. **"I have seen all that has happened on Earth. You failed to retrieve the boy."**

"I have no excuse, my Lord. I shall accept any punishment, so long as I can have another chance to complete my task." Thunderwing replied solemnly.

Chuckling, Unicron said, **"Your devotion is noted, Thunderwing. You will have another chance to fulfill your usefulness to me. Continue your role as a servant to Quintessa. The Deceiver will want things done quickly so she may restore Cybertron, unware that her efforts will end with my freedom. And with her capture of Optimus Prime, we can destroy the Matrix whenever we want too. For now, ensure that her staff is recovered at all costs, the boy will be secondary. Is that understood?"**

"I hear you, my master. Worry not, I have already brought several Cybertronians to serve you. Soon, you will be revived, and the universe will be yours for the taking." Thunderwing declared. He then transformed and took off, while Unicron's avatar merged back with the room.

 **That's this chapter done! Now you know where Thunderwing's allegiance is. Be sure to leave a review.**


	8. Meetings and Legends

**We'll be meeting some more Autobots and learning new things. I hope you enjoy and be sure to review!**

 **(A few hours before Cade left for England, somewhere in the Caribbean)**

Moving through the water was a large, blue Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), followed by a white and blue Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), which was carrying a blue Land System OMC Ratel IFV. Flying above them was a dark grey Mil Mi-24 Helicopter. Riding on top of the LCS were Wheeljack and Daytrader. The group was heading straight towards a small island.

"You're sure this is where you detected it?" Wheeljack asked over the roaring water.

The junker nodded. "Two days before I visited you guys, my scanners picked up a brief energy spike before it was hidden by a jammer. I matched the same signal as the _Axalon_. It was coming from this island. The place is completely uninhabited and is in the middle of nowhere, the perfect place for a large Cybertronian ship to be."

"Well, let's hope so. This could be our big break in finding a ride for everyone." Commented Wheeljack as they reached the island.

The ships moved closer towards the shallow end, allowing Wheeljack, Daytrader and Breacher, the Ratel, to get off and walk on the sandy ground. They were followed by the LCS and LCAC transformed into Depthcharge and Sea Spray respectively. Skyhammer, the Mi-24, changed next and landed beside his fellow Autobots.

"Okay" Depthcharge said, the largest mech there looking around. "Where do we start first?"

Pulling out a scanner-like device, Daytrader pointed to the left. "This way, I'm picking up a faint signal." He said as he began guiding the others.

"I still can't believe that something as big as the _Axalon_ was hidden here these past three years." Depthcharge commented as he scanned the surrounding area.

"It was invented by the Knights of Cybertron during the Dynasty of the Primes, and later improved when Sentinel Prime unified Cybertron. To be here and remain undetected wouldn't be much of a surprise." Wheeljack commented.

A few minutes later, the group found the _Axalon_. The large vessel of the Knights was half on the beach, with the other half in the water. The hull showed multiple areas of damage, caused by Omega's attack back in Hong Kong. Coral, starfish, seaweed, barnacles and other sea life were attached to the bottom of the ship. Finally, there were several Cybertronian bodies hanging from the ship or lying on the beach, Lockdown's mercenaries.

"Huh. It's not as bad as I thought it would be." Daytrader commented as he stared at the vessel's condition.

"The outside that is. We have no idea what the damage on the inside is like." Skyhammer added.

"That's what we're going to find out. Skyhammer, take to the air and patrol the ship from the outside. Keep us inform if anything comes up." Depthcharge ordered.

The silver flyer nodded before transforming and took to the air. The other five Autobots began their trek into the _Axalon_. Before he entered, Wheeljack spotted something from the corner of his optics. As an inventor, he had a knack for spotting damages or repairs, and he could clearly spot a section of the ship's exterior, a part of the hull, that had recently been fixed, the hole having been covered up. Or at least, it looked like it had been fixed, though judging how the hole was smooshed, it might have become like that when the ship crashed. Shaking his head, Wheeljack followed the rest inside.

 **(Outskirts of London, England)**

To say the flight was uncomfortable was an understatement. It was hot, cramped, no bathroom onboard, no drinks or food, the pilot was some kind of robot ninja butler, and Cade was fairly sure that the old, World War 2 bomber would come apart any second. It was definitely not one of Cade's most favorite moments.

Fortunately, the flight came to an end after several hours. The trio were now walking up a drive way towards and old castle in the middle of a wide, open grass field. The castle looked like it was pulled straight out of some King Arthur story. The walls were spotted with moss and vines. It just held the vibe of being old yet sturdy. At the end of the driveway was an older gentleman, a dark greenish Mark IV World War One tank and a…giant robot bug that had a leash around its neck. The old man was holding it as if it were a dog. The tank rolled up to them before transforming. It soon took the form of a bulky mech around the same height as Bumblebee, with a cannon sticking up from his back. He had a blue face mask and a white helm.

"Ah, good you're here." The man said to Cade. "Cogman told me about Adam. I hope the boy recovers. Besides that, did you have a pleasant flight?"

"It was the worst flight of my life." Cade said dryly. "Now would you mind explaining to me as to why psycho ninja here" he jabbed a thumb at Cogman, who took the leash from the old man. "just flew me halfway across the world saying that I'm needed and stuff? And what the hell does Adam have to do with this?"

The old man chuckled. "All in due time, Mr. Yeager. All in due time. We're still waiting for a few more people."

Cade didn't seem happy but complied. He took note of the transformed tank, who was currently speaking with Bumblebee in their native language. "So, what's with Mr. Tank here? You run some kind of sanctuary for Cybertornians?" He asked.

"You could call it that. When Cemetery Wind became active and began hunting all Cybertronians, I opened my doors for any Autobots that my message could reach. Guzzle here being one of them." The old man said, gesturing to the tank. The metal insect let out a hiss. "Oh, and Bob too. He's an Insecticon who arrived with some of the recent refugees. Don't worry, he'll only kill you if you're a threat, or if he doesn't like you."

Cade glanced at the Insecticon, who was busy purring as Cogman scratched him behind the antennas. "Right…" Cade said.

"There are several more inside. I have all those that arrive hide as older vehicles; it lets me claim them as part of my collection." The man continued. "But, we're getting off topic. You wish to know why you're here."

"Uh, yeah. If I don't get answers soon, I'm walking." Cade said.

"Ah, but you want know, don't you? Why you" The old man moved Cade's sleeve up with his cane to reveal the talisman latched onto Cade's upper arm, "and that are so important?"

The whine of a sport car's engine caught their attention. It echoed around them, getting louder as it approached from the driveway. "Ah" The old man said. "I do so love perfect timing."

A Lamborghini Centenario stopped a way down the driveway. The hood opened and shot out a woman. The Centenario began to transform in a break dance style into a black and orange mech. Cade looked on with amusement as the woman freaked out, even using a golf club as a weapon.

"Is this a kidnapping in progress or her first Transformers experience?" Cade asked the old man.

After a moment of silence, the older male replied, "A bit of both, actually."

The three Cybertronians and two humans watched in amusement as the black and orange mech tried to calm the woman. Instead, she only freaked out more. She even hit his servo with the golf club, breaking the club in half. When the woman fell backwards and rolled down the little hill by the driveway, the mech gave a shrug to the others. "She is very difficult!" He said in a thick French accent.

"Well" The old man turned to face Cade, "how about we go inside? Proper introductions can be made then. I'll have Cogman escort you to your room, clothes already there. The ones you're currently wearing appear to have seen better days." He said as he took Bob from Cogman. Cade looked down and noticed his clothes were slightly torn and dirty. Reluctantly, the inventor followed the Cybertronian butler.

 **(Junkyard)**

Prowl was walking through the base, his processors going back to the last few minutes. Most of the Autobots had recovered from their injuries. Several of them were outside, using wrecked vehicles as target practice. The Wreckers, Grindcore and Fixit were busy repairing the base defense systems. The femmes and Jolt were checking on the sparklings, making sure they were not hurt in anyway during the whole fiasco. They were also working on plans in the event something like that happened again. It wasn't spoken out loud, but everyone could feel it; a fight was coming. A big one, and they wanted to be prepared, not wanting to be caught unaware as they were in the past.

Prowl stopped by the medical room, where Ratchet was overlooking a still unconscious Adam. The hybrid had several tubes stuck to him, as well as an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. Monitors nearby were showing his vitals and other stats.

"How is he?" The lieutenant asked Ratchet.

Without looking from his work, the medical officer replied, "Well, his vitals are stable, and his injuries have completely healed, and I can find no other anomalies for the moment…"

"I'm sensing a but coming." Commented Prowl.

Sighting, Ratchet moved his optics towards Prowl. "Adam has shown no signs of waking. To be honest, I still have very little understanding of his physiology, a mix of human and Cybertronian. What's more, he lost a lot of blood, but I don't know if he will accept either a energon or a blood transfusion. I was thinking of trying to scan his brain, seeing if I can somehow upload his memories, like how one would do with a CPU but…"

"But you can't risk it since we don't fully understand." Prowl finished off. "Optimus would not approve of risking another living being, even if it were for their sake. Continue monitoring him for now. If you feel like there is no other choice, you have my permission, Ratchet."

The green yellow mech nodded and proceeded to get back to work. Before Prowl left, though, Ratchet said one last thing. "I forget to mention, Elita has been wanting to speak to you. She should be in the sparkling care center."

Knowing what she wanted to discuss, Prowl merely continued his walk, this time heading towards the daycare center. Due to the reconfiguration of the transport ship to base, he had to exit the base and walk outside to reach his destination. That enabled Prowl to spare a glance at what some of the others were doing.

"The damn cannons didn't do nuthin!" Hound complained to Leadfoot. The commando and wreckers were currently next to one of the laser sentries that made up the base defense perimeter. The large green mech was chewing on his cigar. "All it did was give those Cons a few scratches. I could've done more damage on my own."

"The damn things weren't designed for heavy engagement!" Retorted Leadfoot, helping Roadbuster weld the cannon's head to the main body. "Not enough energon for full power, and Prowl wanted the stealth system full operational anyway. Sides', they made sure the Cons couldn't find the young ones, eh?" Steeljaw barked in agreement, the cyberwolf standing beside his owner.

"If ya gonna complain, Hound, then get yer aft outta of here!" Roadbuster shouted back.

Topspin, who was holding a wrench, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're having enough problems as it is!"

Grumbling, Hound sulked off. Prowl's attention shifted to Cliffjumper, Skids, Mudflap, Longarm and Salvage. The five Autobots were sitting in a circle, conversing with each other.

"Yo, dat big fool was crazy! We an't seen any bad robotz dat big since Devasta." Skids commented.

"Yah, and dat bitch waz big!" Added Mudflap.

Cliffjumper snorted. "Gotta admit, we would've been scrap if Ultra Magnus hadn't arrived when he did. The weapons that freak had were nothing I've ever seen before."

"That's new. Usually, you're all gung ho about taking on any Con that gets in your way." Longarm noted.

"Even I'm not that rowdy. I know when to move forward and pull back." Cliffjumper said.

Salvage nodded. "I hear that. We were just lucky that we managed to get the drop on the Cons before that. Or maybe because they were so weak."

"I'd have to go with both. I've fought many Cons, and I could tell some of those guys were not high-level fighters." Cliffjumper commented. "Ask me, Megatron is low on good troops."

Prowl kept walking, leaving them to their conversation. He soon reentered the base and made his way towards the daycare center. As he walked, he past by Grindcore and Fixit. The two were carrying supplies. "Hey, Prowl. We're almost done with updating the new security system." Grindcore reported as Fixit waved at the lieutenant.

"Good work. Keep me posted." Replied Prowl.

A few minutes later, Prowl arrived at the daycare center. The femmes and sparklings were there, along with Ironhide, Canopy, Sqweeks and Izabella. Sqweeks and Canopy were helping the femmes by keeping the sparklings occupied, and Ironhide was showing Izzy, the girl holding Paddles, a holo-image of a five-year old Annabelle, his former charge.

"This is when Annabelle had gotten a new Nerf Gun for her birthday. Wanted to try and shoot some Decepticons. Naturally I couldn't let her, so I made some out of old cardboard boxes. Hit everyone of them with ease." Ironhide said to the young girl. Paddles squeaked, sucking on her fingers as she stared at the image.

Prowl was distracted when something hit his leg. Looking down, the Lieutenant saw it was Ramjump. The turquoise colored mechling was happily banging a rattle on the mech's foot.

"Ramjump, that is not nice." Elita chided, walking over to pick-up the sparkling. The little mech clicked in annoyance, not happy that his 'fun' was ruined. "Why don't you go play with Firefly and Gasket at the castle." The purple femme suggested as she put Ramjump near said sparklings. Arcee took over as she gently guided the mechling towards the structure, where several sparklings were sticking their heads out of.

Once that was done, Elita swiveled around, glaring at Prowl. "We need to talk. Now." The femme ordered as she walked out of the room. Prowl quietly followed.

When the two were out of hearing range, Prowl started first. "I assume this is about Optimus." He said.

"It is" Elita replied. "Lately I've been feeling pain. Or rather, the pain Optimus has been feeling, through our sparkbond. I was never comfortable with him going after the ones who hired Lockdown, but"

"It's almost impossible to stop Prime once he has his processors set." Prowl finished.

"I know that better than anyone, Prowl." Elita remarked. "I want the truth. I know that you and Jazz were discussing something related to Optimus with Ultra Magnus. Make no mistakes, I understand the need for secrecy, given the current moral here. But this is my sparkmate, I deserve to know."

Quiet for a moment, Prowl relented. Elita was right, she above anyone knew what might have befallen Optimus. "Magnus believes that Optimus may have been captured, taken to Cybertron that is currently moving. If that's true, we hope Magnus will be able to save Prime and the Protectobots."

Elita remained quiet, but you could see in her optics that she was surprised and worried about this bit of news. However, she managed to remain calm and give a nod to Prowl. "Thank you, Prowl. I admit I do not feel cheered up by this, but I am grateful that I at least know what is going on." She said before returning to the daycare.

"Elita" Prowl said, catching the femme's attention. "If Prime truly is in danger, we can rely on Ultra Magnus to save him. He wasn't Optimus's number two for nothing. And if not, I've received word Wheeljack that they found the _Axalon_. I know they can get it working."

Though she didn't respond, Elita gave a grateful nod before heading back inside. She picked up a waddling Dusthorn who was about to leave the daycare.

 **(Burton's Castle)**

While Cade was being taken to a room where spare clothes were, Hot Rod and Guzzle took Bumblebee to meet the others. The castle had clearly been redesigned to hold numerous large objects, to serve as a resting place for Burton's 'collection'. Like Guzzle, the other Autobots were also disguised as old vehicles, to better keep them hidden from TRF.

Located in an inner courtyard were the rest of the refugees. The first was Kup, a veteran Cybertronian and the unofficial leader of the group. He had scanned a bluish-grey Chevrolet G506 and had a cigar in his mouth. After him was Sunstreaker, much to Bumblebee's surprise. The golden mech was Sideswipe's twin brother, and the owner of Bob. He had scanned a Lamborghini Miura, much to the vain Autobot's annoyance. He always did like the latest models. After him was Trailbreaker, a large black Autobot, like Hound and Ironhide, but less bulky, possessing a built in forcefield. His alt mode was an Austin K5. Next up was the former racer Clocker, who had rockets attached to the back of his shoulders, elbows and heels, with a light blue Clan Crusader as his alt mode. Then there was Perceptor, a brilliant scientist who had scanned a red and black Willys Jeep Station Wagon. Autobot chief surgeon Hoist was beside him. Like Trailbreaker, he was also tall, but not bulky, and had a dark green Toyota Stout for his disguise. Smokescreen, diversionary tactician, was next. The mech had a blue and red Datsun DC-3 for his disguise.

There were also three flyers among the group too. The first up was Highbrow, another old Cybertronian, as well as a former Seeker and friend of the late Jetfire. The tall mech had scanned a sage green Lockheed P-38 Lightning long ago. Unlike the others, he seemed to like his current alt mode. After him was Wingblade, the aerial version of Ironhide, the flyer possessing the second largest Decepticon kills. His current mode was a grey Hawker Hurricane with lime green trims. The third flyer was Whirl, a one-optic Autobot like Camshaft, with pincer-like fingers. His alt mode was a white Westland WS-51 Dragonfly.

There were two more Autobots, Knock Out and Windcharger. But they were patrolling London and the surrounding area of the mansion, so they were not present at the time. Hot Rod said he already informed them of the current situation and they sent their greetings.

"It's good to see ya, lad!" Kup said cheerfully, with an Irish accent, as he patted the yellow scout on the back. Bumblebee let out chirps as he greeted him and the others. "Was wondering when Burton was going to bring you lot here."

Sunstreaker was scratching underneath Bob's chin, pleasing the Insecticon. "Glad to hear that Sides still kicking. Hey, do you have a holo-image of his alt mode?" The golden mech asked.

Groans filled the courtyard. "C'mon, Sunny! You just want to scan a newer model." Whirl commented, the one-optic Autobot sounding exasperated.

"Can you blame me?" Sunstreaker asked as Bumblebee brought up an image of Sideswipe in his 2017 Corvette Stingray Convertible alt mode. With glee, Sunstreaker swiftly scanned the image (he'd made sure to have the advanced scanner, so he could even scan images of vehicles that caught his interest), before transforming into a now golden version of the convertible. Bob hissed in approval at his master's new alt mode. "If I'm going to remain in hiding, I want to have the best look ever."

"Ugh, young ones these days." Highbrow muttered, crossing his arms. "Back in my day, it was all about usefulness, rather than appearance. I know Jetfire would agree with me, Primus rest his spark."

Kup chuckled. "Can't disagree with you there, Highbrow. The lads have always been picky about their appearances. Reminds me of a mission I took, where the team had to pick suitable disguises to blend in. Took us forever to find ones we'd approved of."

"All I care about is getting an alt mode that will let me deploy my weapons at their full potential." Wingblade said, turning his hands into his six-barreled plasma rotary cannons.

As the others began to converse, Bumblebee headed over towards a window that connected to the room where the humans were meeting. Cade, Burton and Cogman were already inside. The inventor was examining the place. The room had a few paintings on the wall. One was from about the World War One era and another was from medieval times. The only connection that each painting had was that they had a Transformer in it. As Cade sat down on a nearby chair, Burton near an open window in the corner, while Cogman was setting out cups for tea.

"Ah, Cade" the Burton acknowledged his appearance. "We're just waiting for Ms. Vivian now."

Moments later, Cade heard the telltale sound of high heels tapping rhythmically on hardwood floor. The end of a black dress caused him to look up. He blinked, eyes widening as if he if someone just slapped him. The woman who had just been freaking out nearly half an hour ago was now calm and composed. She wore a stylish black dress that outline the curves of her body tastefully.

"Hey, what's up?" Was the first thing Cade said. Viviane gave him a brief glance that clearly read as 'oh, please'.

"Now then" Burton said as Viviane sat on another couch. "Since everyone is now here, I believe introductions are finally in order. I am Edmund Burton. Twelfth Earl of Folgan and last surviving member of the Order of Witwiccans."

That's when Hot Rod chose to poke his helm through a nearby window. That gained the attention of Viviane who asked, "Must he loom like that?"

The black and orange mech did an exaggerate bow. "Bonjour, chérie! Je M'appelle Hot Rôd."

Viviane was unable to figure out what he was saying due to his accent. "Ut what?"

"Hot _Rôd._ " The mech repeated.

"Hut Rud?"

" _Hot Rôd!_ "

It was Burton who came to the rescue. "Hot. Rod." The mech nodded in relief. "It's his French accent."

Viviane made an 'ah' sound before asking. "Is he French?"

"No, he just likes the accent." Burton answered.

However, Hot Rod did not seem to agree. "Non! No, no, no, I _HATE_ the accent! But I can't get rid of it! I'm _stuck_ with the accent!" He complained to Bumblebee, who chuckled along with the other Autobots.

"He's a soldier, Miss Viviane" Burton explained. "He swore an oath to your father to protect you."

"Oh" Was all Viviane could say after hearing that.

"Some dad you got there." Cade commented, getting the woman's attention. "That's a nice ride. I mean, you could ride up to Buckingham Palace in that thing."

Viviane rolled her eyes. "Okay. You. American man. Shut it." Cade jerked back as she looked to Burton. "What am I doing here?"

"Yeah, why is she here?" Cade asked.

"Introductions" Burton said. "Miss Viviane Wembly: Master of History, Oxford; Doctor of Philosophy, also Oxford; and Doctor of Letters, Oxford again, I think. Anything else? Anyway, meet Cade."

Cade waited for him to continue. But when Burton didn't, Cade took it upon himself to do so instead. "Yeager. Cade Yeager. I'm an inventor."

Raising an eyebrow, Viviane looked at Cade. "You're an inventor?"

"Yes, I am"

"What have you invented?"

"A lot of things."

"Like?"

"Like a lot of things." Cade repeated. "Like things you've heard of."

That just made Viviane repeated her previous question.

"Well, things that you _will_ have heard of. Patents are pending." Cade explained.

"Ah" That was Viviane's response.

Cade looked at her. "'Ah'? What's 'ah'? You know I can do that too: 'ah, I'm English and I'm too cool for feelings." He looked at Burton. "What? Did I come here to be insulted by some over-educated Ivy tower princess in a stripper dress?"

Burton gave a highly amused expression at that. "Stripper?"

Viviane who, rather than be insulted, also seemed amused. "Only in America is a finer education an insult. And if my dress is making you uncomfortable, then maybe I should take it off."

Cade blinked, clearly not expecting that, just looked at her blankly before simply responding with, "Ok"

On the other side of the room, Cogman's right optic twitched. He jumped over the table and lunged at Cade, knocking the chair he was in onto the ground. Cogman then began choking the inventor. "Shall I tear his head off, madam?" The butler mech asked.

"Tempting" Viviane replied in amusement, "but I can defend my own honor."

"Oh, but I do so want to crush his windpipe!" Cogman said, hands still around Cade's neck.

"I told you, Cogman, you need to learn to control that impulse." Burton said in exasperation. "You're a Headmaster for god's sake, try and channel it into other things."

At last, Cogman released Cade, who began taking in large gulps of air. "Yes, my lord. Like making beds. Or cooking food. Maybe even polishing the silver." Cogman muttered as he bent down and lifted Cade's chair back up into the correct position. "I am trying, my lord."

Once he was able to breathe normally again, Cade sent a glare towards Cogman. "And while we're on the focus of the crazy ninja butler." Cade said as he looked at Burton. "How the hell does he know Adam? He said he met the kid when he was a baby."

Viviane did not seem to know who Adam was, but Burton did. "Ah, yes, I was hoping you'd ask that." Burton said as he began walking to another room, ushering Cade and Viviane to follow. "It can be explained better if you'd follow me."

The first room was dining room, filled with paintings of various members. "These are my predecessors, all of them Folgans before me. However, the answers to your questions are in here." Burton explained as he kept walking.

The next room was indeed quite a sight. Paintings and statues all over. Cade saw more transformers in paintings and pictures, even a few statues. Burton began listing off people who were part of the Witwiccans. Burton even kept one inside a bulletproof case and turned into a watch. "It was the one who killed Hitler." He added.

It honestly blew Cade's mind. All the people that Burton listed had kept the secret of the transformers on Earth. Burton even had a Witwiccan family tree that spanned back over forty generations all the way back to Merlin and Arthur. Even Viviane's father was a member, much to her shock. However, what got Cade's attention was the picture of a woman below Burton and Viviane's father. She was an attractive woman, looking around her late twenties to early thirties. She had long, wavy, brown hair and matching brown eyes. The inventor's eyes widened when underneath the picture, were the words that said, 'Lucy Nova'.

Noticing Cade's focus, Burton went into detail. "Lucy Nova, daughter of Emily Nova, an old friend of mine. Graduated from Harvard University. Majors: Electronics, Engineering, Architecture, Chemistry, Astrology and Sociology. Also, a member of the Witwiccan Order and later Sector Seven as an undercover agent, made head of studying the Allspark."

"Undercover?" Cade repeated. He had heard of Sector Seven, the predecessor of NEST before it was shutdown. "She was spying on S7?"

"Yes, to learn what they had discovered about the Cybertronians and make sure that the Allspark never fell into the wrong hands. She left when she was discovered she was pregnant. I helped with her financial needs during the first few years when Lucy was raising Adam. Before the battle at Hong Kong, I had thought Adam had died with his mother." Burton said, his voice taking a sad tone. It was clear the old man had thought fondly of Lucy.

"But, let us get back on track." Burton said. "See, it all began in 480 A.D. when King Arthur and his wizard Merlin stared down and vanquished the Saxon hordes at Monbadon." He then pointed to a set of weapons on a table. "Those are his sword and shield there."

He then led the two outside into the inner courtyard, Cogman following them. They passed by the Autobots. A few waved at them while the rest were listening to Bumblebee's stories of what had happened at Hong Kong.

"The myth of Arthur and Merlin are just that, a myth." Viviane retorted.

"And every myth, every legend, every story whispered around a campfire has a logical explanation." Burton replied.

"And I whole-heartedly agree with that, but logic has left the building. You're talking about magic now." Said Viviane with a frown.

Cade scoffed. "What, like your walking, talking Lamborghini? Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." He said.

Viviane raised an eyebrow at the line. "Arthur C. Clark. Impressive." She admitted while Cade smirked.

Burton soon guided them inside a building that looked like a church. The ceiling and windows were high up. It held an air of importance. And in the center of the building was a uniquely crafted table. A round table exactly, and its grey, metallic material reflected the light that seeped through the windows. Burton walked over towards the table, gently running his fingers across it.

Looking at Cade and Viviane, Burton said, "This place was built around the original Round Table." He began. "Percival, Tristan, Gawain, Lancelot and Arthur. They all sat here, twelve in all. And behind them were the Twelve that came from Cybertron. Twelve alien knights who saw in Camelot what humanity could be at its finest, a race of honor." Burton ran his hand over a piece of armor on a chair. Like the table, the armor also shined, giving it a divine appearance almost. "This belonged to Arthur himself. Legend says that when a time of great peril for both humanity and Cybertronian, the one dubbed 'The Last Knight' and the descendant of Merlin, would help the one known as the Prime of Life. A being who would carry the blood of both King Arthur and Primus and save our worlds."

He pointed his cane at Viviane. "You, Ms. Viviane, are the descendant of Merlin, just like your father." Than he shifted his attention at Cade, or more precise, the talisman on the man's arm. "That talisman, is said to be the key the knight would need to awaken to Prime of Life. And since it has chosen you, I believe that you Cade Yeager, are the Last Knight, the one who will guide the Prime of Life to his destiny."

Both Viviane and Cade were silent for a moment, the former having a hard time even believing what she perceived as nonsense, while the latter's thoughts were on something. "Wait a minute, you said the Prime of Life would be of both Arthur and Primus's blood. That would mean that they would be part human and Cybertronian. But, the only person I know who's like that is…" Cade's sentence trailed off as he put the pieces together.

"Exactly" Burton answered, seeing the realization in Cade's eyes. "Adam Nova who like his mother and grandmother, is a descendant of Arthur. And through the powers of the Allspark, a fraction of Primus's spark, is the Prime of Life."

 **Duh, duh, duh! And there you have it folks! Adam's true identity revealed. Next chapter will be the car chase with some extras in it. Please be sure to leave a review!**


	9. Riding through London

**Now for the London Chase! Be sure to review!**

 **(Near** **Ditchling Beacon** **)**

Everything was normal at the area around the hill. Until suddenly, there was a brief explosion far away from any civilized location. Nearby trees and grass were burnt to ashes and the ground itself was also charred. In the center of the explosion was a crater, where a shadowy figure walked out. The figure was nearly as tall as the trees, and purple dots glowed from its face. Slowly, it made its way towards whatever place had vehicles.

After few minutes of walking, the protoform came upon a small parking lot near the summit of the Beacon. One vehicle caught his interest was a black and cyan lined Ram Pick-Up Truck. Seeing it as a suitable form, the protoform quickly scanned the vehicle when no one was looking. Seconds later, another Ram Truck could be seen driving out of the parking lot, heading straight for London.

Back on Cybertron, which had already passed by Jupiter and was slowly nearing Mars, Quintessa and two others were watching a screen that showed what the mech down on Earth was seeing. "It appears that Scourge, or rather, Nemesis Prime, has managed to secure an alt mode and is heading towards where the talisman is." Quintessa commented. "Also, I must commend your work on its success, Jhiaxus."

Said mech had white and orange armor. He had red optics and was slightly hunched. Next to him the other mech, Straxus, was dark blue and bulkier. In his hands was what looked like a weaponized pick-axe. Behind them were an exhausted Optimus Prime and Infernocus, the former looking drain.

"Thank you, my lady. I admit, was not sure Scourge would be able to accept Prime's unique cna. But, it appears I was incorrect. Excluding a change in his face, the new Nemesis Prime still retains all his functions. He will be more than capable than recovering your staff." Jhiaxus said as he rubbed his hands eagerly. "I am curious though, what is to become of Optimus Prime?"

Quintessa frowned as she floated over to said Autobot. Raising his head, Optimus was able to give her a weak glare. "Take him to the holding cells, Infernocus. He and those Protectobots can watch from their confinement as _we_ restore Cybertron and end the only threat to our existence." The sorceress ordered.

The demonic Cybertronian gave a growl in acknowledgement. Grabbing Optimus by the back of his neck, Infernocus pulled the Prime down from his bindings. The weaken Autobot leader could put up little resistance as he was dragged off to a holding cell. Quintessa did not give him a second glance as she went to look at the screen. Nemesis Prime was already half way towards London. As she watched she asked Jhiaxus, "Speaking of we, what has happened to Thunderwing?"

"I'm afraid I lost contact with him after he retreated from his battle with the Autobots. Despite that, I can assure you that he is still on Earth." Jhiaxus replied.

Quintessa frowned. Ever since Thunderwing first arrived to Cybertron and offering his assistance, the Sorceress held her suspicion of the giant mech. He was basically an unknown and even she had no idea when he came online. Still, Thunderwing had been useful so far in her plan to revive Cybertron, getting the Star Seekers to assist in her plans. That didn't mean Quintessa wouldn't be prepared to destroy Thunderwing if he got in her way. In the meantime, other things called for her attention. "Nemesis Prime, remain in the shadows and let the Decepticons and humans do the work. They will force the Autobots to find my staff and lead us to it." Quintessa ordered as she continued watching the screen.

 **(Atlantic Ocean)**

Several hundred miles from the shores of the UK was a large Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier. On the ship's flight deck was a large version of the Decepticon insignia. For this carrier was the Cybertronian known as Tidal Wave, a living carrier who can carry multiple Decepticons at once. On top of Tidal Wave was Soundwave, along the Seekers, which included Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Dirge, Thrust, Sunstorm, Slipstream, Hotlink, Acid Storm, Nacelle, and Bitstream. The Cons watched as Megatron's form came in view in the sky, followed by Nitro Zeus and Cyclonus. The Decepticons made room as their leader and the other two new arrivals transformed and landed on top of Tidal Wave.

"Welcome, Lord Megatron. I trust your little skirmish in America gave you some satisfaction." Starscream asked with mock kindness. The Seeker was well aware that Megatron failed to retrieve the staff from Cade.

"Spare me your false compliments, Starscream. I have little patience for it." Megatron snarled as he pushed the Seeker to the side and walked up to Soundwave. "What is the situation?" The Decepticon Leader asked.

"Your remaining task force members have already arrived in England and regrouped with Fracture's team. Flatline has also arrived to do repairs on the wounded. Barricade has gone ahead to patrol the city designated London for any signs of Cade and the talisman." Soundwave reported.

"And the staff's location itself?" Megatron demanded. He knew that the ship which held it was somewhere around the islands. Unfortunately, it possessed powerful cloaking equipment that made it impossible for even Soundwave to locate it.

"Unable to pinpoint." Replied Soundwave. "However, Shockwave and I believe that it is somewhere deep beneath the ocean. We will require the talisman to find it, though."

Megatron growled, though as before, he somewhat expected this. His thoughts were broken when Slipstream, the sole femme Seeker, made obvious by her sleeker purple colored frame, approached him. "My liege, Barricade has reported that he detected a faint Autobot signal, matching that of the one named Bumblebee. But it appears to have disappeared before he could get a proper lock on it."

Megatron nodded. "Soundwave, download the signature and locate its position. Then notify TRF so they can surround the Autobot and Cade while Fracture's team moves in to retrieve the staff." He ordered.

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave said before taking off.

"Starscream, you and the Seekers patrol the country. Tag any military presence in the area. We shall deal with them once we have what we need." Megatron ordered the treacherous Lieutenant.

"By your will, master." Starscream replied with a dramatic bow. He transformed into his alt mode, followed by the other Seekers, and soon twelve Raptors took off into the air, leaving Megatron, Nitro Zeus and Cyclonus aboard Tidal Wave.

 **(Burton's Castle)**

There was a moment of silence following Burton's declaration. It was broken when Viviane snapped out of her stupor. "Wait a minute. I'm a descendant of Merlin?" She asked in a voice that said she did not believe it. "With all due respect, that is a bunch of rubbish. Merlin, Arthur, Camelot, the whole thing is a legend, a fairytale story, sir. You don't honestly expect me to believe all this."

"It does not matter if you believe it or not, Ms. Wembly, you are Merlin's sole living descendant. As such only you can retrieve the Staff that our enemies desire. It will only activate from your DNA, the same DNA of the wizard." Burton said. "The Autobot's homeworld, Cybertron, is slowly approaching Earth. And if it reaches us, it could mean the end of humanity, and possibly even Cybertronians. We must find that staff."

"Look, unlike Ms. School Teacher here, I'm willing to believe what you're saying." Cade said, ignoring Viviane's glare. "But how do you suggest we find the staff in the first place? We don't even know where it is."

"Viviane's father had been searching for the staff almost his entire life. Most likely the clue lies somewhere in his studies." Answered Burton.

"Well, all my dad's stuff is back at my flat." Viviane said, having calmed down but still have not fully believing this.

Anything else was cut off when Cogman came running in. "My Lord, my Lord! Knock Out just phoned in! TRF and MI6 are on their way!" The Headmaster shouted.

"Bloody hell…" Burton cursed under his breath. "Cogman, grab the armor, then inform the others and get the car ready. We're going to have to escape into London if we're going to get this done. Cade, Ms. Wembly, you two need to find those notes. They're the only thing that can lead us to the Staff!"

Outside in the courtyard, the Autobots were preparing to mobilize. Kup started to shout out orders. "Okay, we planned for this, mates. Highbrow, take Guzzle somewhere safe. His alt mode is to obvious. Wingblade, you're to take the armor to America, and Whirl will distract their aerial support. The rest of us will go on the ground and separate the wankers. Bee, you take Yeager and Wembly and Hot Rod will follow you from behind."

"Won't the humans use thermal scanners to follow them?" Trailbreaker asked.

Kup looked at scientists among them. "Perceptor?"

The red and black mech pulled out several circular disks. "Sensor scramblers, they'll confuse the humans and disrupt any GPS, thermal trackers and other locator-like devices." Perceptor explained as he tossed one to each ground Autobot.

Bob began hissing, alerting the Autobots and humans. Coming up the drive way were several black SUVs. Above, there was a AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat flying towards them.

"Here they come!" Clocker yelled.

"No lethal actions, boys. Hot Rod, you know what to do!" Kup ordered as he transformed.

Hot Rod watched as several men armed with guns came out of the SUVs. "Oui! Just leave it to me, my weapon will stop the time!" The black and orange meh said as he pulled out his photon blaster. It began to charge a light bluish glow before firing a single bolt. The projectile struck the group head on, engulfing them in a large dome of chrono-energy, slowing their movements greatly. "It is done! Now we move!" Hot Rod exclaimed as he transformed, followed by the others.

Cogman ran up to the sphere, watching the slow-moving soldiers with amusement. "Einstein would've been tickled silly by this!" He cackled as he entered a silver Aston Martin DB11, with Burton in the passenger seat.

The group began driving down the road towards the gate, with Wingblade and Whirl flying over them. Highbrow had gone off in a different direction, Guzzle hanging onto him as the veteran flew. The Wildcat tried to pursue them, but was stopped by Perceptor. The scientist had quickly transformed and took out his Nucleon Charge Rifle and fired at the chopper's rotor-blade disabling it. Whirl grabbed the helicopter, allowing it to land carefully on the ground. Before rejoining the others, the one-optic Autobot scanned the Wildcat, taking on a new alt mode.

As they were driving, Kup spotted more vehicles near the gate entrance. The soldiers had already taken up firing positions, rifles raised. :Knock Out, we could use some assistance in clearing the road.:

:Already on it!: Said mech's voice exclaimed through the communicator.

Driving from the side, a black and green BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster drove up to the blockade. Immediately transforming into a small mech, around the same size as Skids and Mudflap, jumped on top of an SUV. Arming his wrist-mounted plasma cannons, Knock Out fired low powered shots at the soldiers, forcing them back and out of the way. That gave the Autobots the chance to ram through, knocking aside the TRF vehicles doing so. With his job done, Knock Out transformed and joined them.

 **(Near the coast of England)**

Meanwhile, in England waters was the US 5th Fleet. Just arriving aboard one of the battleships via helicopter was Lennox, Epps, Graham, Santos and the rest of Santos's team. The ship's captain was in the command room where the technicians were working to oversee the operation.

"What've we got?" Lennox asked as he and the team approached.

"There's a total of eleven Transformers entering London. The three planes plus a tank disappeared after the others left the castle." The captain said. "We also have reports of several vehicles, including a group of Triumph Thruxton, Chevrolet Express and Cadillac Ciel vehicles heading towards them. Confirmed to be Decepticons, though the only ones that are identified are Barricade and Fracture."

Pressing a few buttons, several screens appeared, showing multiple vehicles entering London together. One of them was a familiar police car, and the other was white, black and red Audi TT. With them and the Vehicons were Sideways, Overkill, Dropkick, Payload, Swindle, and Flatline, the latter having a black and red Mercedes-Benz E-Class Hearse alt mode. TRF and MI6 vehicles had also entered the city, chasing after the Autobots.

Lennox studied the screens before looking at the captain. "Can we confirm which Autobot Yeager is riding with?"

"We believe that the target is riding inside the Autobot designated Bumblebee, along with a woman. But reports on the field is that the owner of the castle, one Edmund Burton, is inside another vehicle. However, its difficult to tell because all of them are giving off thermal readings of humans inside. Its possible they may have switched vehicles." Was the report he got.

Lennox sighed. He should've known by now that the Autobots never make things easy. "Okay, have our boys in the air keep track of many of them as they can. Firearms are not permitted inside the city limits. We can't risk injuring civilians during pursuit."

 **(London, England)**

Back in London, the Autobots had entered the city a few minutes ago. Since then, several of them had new alt modes since their old ones were no longer needed. Retaining their colors, Kup had scanned a Honda Ridgeline, Trailbreaker a Chevy Tahoe, Host had a Toyota Hilux with a pick-up crane, Smokescreen took a Subaru Impreza, Clocker picked a Jaguar F-Type, and Perceptor's was a Land Rover Discovery Sport. They along with Bumblebee, Hot Rod, Sunstreaker, Cogman and Knock Out were currently on a three-lane street inside London. The sound of sirens caught their attention.

:Damn, the wankers are right on our arse!: Kup cursed. :Whirl, what's the sit-rep up there?:

Flying above the Autobots was Whirl. The one-optic mech scanned ahead. :Kup, I see an intersection up ahead!: Whirl reported.

:Very good. Alright, listen up everyone. Bee, head towards Viviane's flat. Cogman, you guide Lord Burton to wherever he needs to be. The rest of us will split into twos and keep these muppets off your backs for as long as we can. And watch your sixes, I'm picking up Decepticons too.: Ordered Kup as he took a left. :Smokescreen, it's your turn, lad!:

:Copy that, Kup! Everyone keep your sensors protected!: Smokescreen advised as he drove up ahead. The moment he reached the intersection, the dark blue and red mech released a powerful burst of thick smoke from his exhaust pipes. He did a complete circle as he spread the smoke to cover the entire street, causing the nearby humans to shout out in surprised and vehicles to came to a halt. The pursuing TRF vehicles also stopped when the electric-smoke began to scramble their systems.

With cover now, the Autobots broke into groups: Bumblebee continued driving towards Viviane's home, while Cogman drove Burton towards Trinity Library, having received a call from Simmons. Meanwhile Kup and Hot Rod went down a different route, Clocker and Smokescreen took another, followed by, Perceptor, Trailbreaker and Hoist taking a fourth one, while Sunstreaker and Knock Out took separate ones. As predicted, the TRF and London Police split up after each one. The Decepticons and their drones did the same, with Dropkick following Kup and Hot Rod, Sideways, Payload and Swindle chasing Smokescreen and Clocker, and finally Fracture and Barricade pursued Bumblebee.

 **(Sunstreaker)**

With Sunstreaker, the golden mech was swerving left and right, getting ahead of each vehicle in front of him, all the while TRF right on his tail. Suddenly Bob began hissing and clicking inside. "Yes, yes! I know they're right behind us! Chill your servos!" Sunstreaker exclaimed.

That's when a yellow and white Bugatti Veyron popped out from a coming turn, ramming right into Sunstreaker. The impact sent the Autobot flipping through the air, with Sunstreaker transforming and Bob landing on the ground. The nearby humans screamed and ran away.

The newcomer, Overkill, immediately transformed and pulled out his wrist-mounted chainsaws. He charged at Sunstreaker, who only had enough time to move back, but not before Overkill managed to tear a bit of his chestplate.

"Slagger! You ruined my paint job!" Sunstreaker yelled, taking out his dual pulse pistols.

"That's not the only thing I'm going to ruin!" Overkill shouted back as he swung his weapons again.

Sunstreaker managed to dodge the attack better this time. He followed it up with firing his weapons, shooting off several bits of the Decepticon's armor. The golden mech followed it up with a kick to Overkill's face, sending the Con tumbling backwards. He crashed into a nearby building, sending debris falling downward.

Growling, Overkill brought out a shoulder-mounted energy cannon, preparing to fire. But before he could, Bob leapt at him. With a hiss, the Insecticon dug his claws into Overkill's armor and then ripped off the cannon with his teeth. "Argh! Get off me you bug!" Overkilled shouted as he pushed Bob off him.

Those were his last words as Sunstreaker aimed his pistol at Overkill's face. Quickly pulling the trigger, several energy bolts were released, blowing up the Decepticon's face. The headless corpse slid down the building, energon leaking out.

Sunstreaker smirked as he looked at Bob, said Insecticon happily chewing on Overkill's cannon. "Good boy. Now let's get going." The golden mech said before transforming into his alt mode. He opened his doors, allowing Bob to climb in. Sunstreaker took just as the police and TRF caught up.

 **(Smokescreen and Clocker)**

In another section of the city, the trio of Decepticons as well as several Bike and Car-Vehicons were chasing after Smokescreen and Clocker. The Autobots had already lost the humans, but had yet been able to shake off the Cons. The narrow streets made it difficult for them to maneuver and neither mech wanted to start a battle with the odds stacked against them. That's when Clocker got an idea. :Smokescreen, see that narrow street a few turns ahead?: The former racer asked.

:Yeah, what about it?: Smokescreen replied.

:On my signal, I want you to release another burst of electric smoke. Then we'll make a turn onto that street: Clocker explained.

:Got it!:

Smokescreen moved upward so that he was driving beside Clocker. Meanwhile Payload began to speed up too, slowly gaining on the Autobots, Swindle right behind him. The purple Deception was just about to transform and grab Smokescreen when said Autobot released another burst of smoke. At the same time, Clocker activated his extra thrusters from the sides of his trunk. The extra burst of air pushed the static smoke straight over the Decepticons, covering them and the Vehicons in it. :Argh!: Payload cried as he felt his systems being electrified, the same with the others.

:Now!: Clocked shouted as he disengaged his thrusters before making a sharp turn onto the one lane street, followed by Smokescreen. The Decepticons were not able to make such a turn, and unfortunately crashed into one another, the Car-Vehicons had already short circuited, unprepared for Smokescreen's electric smoke. Sideways, though, managed to get onto the one street lane, continuing his pursuit of the Autobots, followed by several Bike-Vehicons.

:Scrap, they're still on us!: Shouted Smokescreen as Sideways began to slowly reach them.

It was at that moment, while passing a closed gate, said gate suddenly burst open as a red and grey mech jumped out. Blue optics focusing on the Cons, the mech raised his left arm. Using magnetism, he pulled nearby dumpsters and other metallic objects between the Autobots and Decepticons. The latter had no time to react, forced to transform and sent tumbling across the road. The bike-Vehicons who were behind Sideways crashed into the dumpsters, piling on top of each other.

:Windcharger!: Clocker cried as he spotted the mech who saved them.

Said mech quickly transformed into a Honda S660 and followed Clocker and Smokescreen onto the main road. :Got the word from Kup. Was supposed to meet up with Lord Burton and Cogman, but Burton said to help you guys out instead.: Windcharger explained.

:Well, we owe ya one! For now, let's keep moving, my audio receptors are picking up sirens not to far from us: Clocker said as the now group of three Autobots continued driving.

 **(Burton and Cogman)**

Burton and Cogman were still inside the Aston Martin. The old man had just finished a long conversation with Simmons over the phone, with the latter demanding to be let into the Order in return for the information he had. Meanwhile, several TRF and Police cars were on their tail, though no Vehicons were chasing them. Knock Out was also following them from another street. The chase had left behind several crashed pedestrian vehicles, traffic jams, and other collateral damage. Burton took notice of one scene where a civilian car was forced to the side by the Cogman, and rammed into a police car head first, nearly toppling the former over.

"Damn! You don't have to kill people!" Burton exclaimed. Cogman just laughed maniacally as he turned down a one lane road. People walking gave out shouts of surprise as the fast moving cars drove by.

Burton shouted at the pedestrians, "Get out of the way!" Over the sirens. "Ugh, I swear to god why do people have to be moving about this time of the day?"

"Ah that reminds me." Cogman said as he made a turn. "Agnes called. Wondered if you're available for a snuggle this evening."

"I'd love a snuggle with Agnes. But Cogman, do I look available?" Burton asked the Headmaster rhetorically.

They got back on the main road, giving them a clearer street to drive on. The cop, MI6 and TRF cars that hadn't been damaged were right on their tail. They were going so fast that Cogman actually went through a red light. Unfortunately for their pursuers, a car driving by on the right side of the road chose that moment, causing a cop car to crash into it.

"Ha!" Burton laughed at seeing this. "Kamikaze pilot!"

"Move bitch, get out of my way! Move bitch, get out of my way!" Cogman sang as he drove.

It was at that moment Burton's cell rang. Looking at the caller ID and it said Viviane, Burton immediately answered. "Hello, yes?"

" _We have the info. It's a set of coordinates!"_ Viviane said.

"Good show!" Burton cheered. "Let Kup know, he'll tell Bumblebee where to go. We'll meet up with you after we lose these bastards!"

 **(Hot Rod and Kup)**

With said veteran mech, he and Hot Rod were currently speeding through traffic, with several cop cars on their tail, as well as Dropkick and Car-Vehicons. They were trying to shake them while at the same time regroup with the others, or at least get to where Bumblebee was with the humans. That's when Kup got some news from. :Kid! The lass has gotten the coordinates. Break off and regroup with Bee. We need to get them to the ship. I'll keep these bastards off ya!: Kup ordered.

:Quel vieil homme, are you sure?: Hot Rod asked as he readied himself.

:Don't worry about me, lad! I can handle a bunch of drones and a single punk. Now get your aft moving!: Kup said.

:Understood! La Victoire!: Hot Rod cheered and made a sharp turn. Kup moved to the side to stop the Vehicons from going after the young Autobot, forcing them to continue to chase after Kup, Dropkick still leading them. They knocked over or bashed aside anything that got in their way, forcing humans to flee. Kup took a turn and headed inside a public park, covered with trees and stone bridges. The veteran mech knew that this place would have low number of pedestrians and that they would be spread out. That would help prevent getting bystanders involved.

Once he was ready, Kup did a hard U-turn, transforming at the same time. He then pulled out his plasma pulse shotgun. He fired a bolt at the closets Vehicon, blowing the drone's front side into pieces. Kup was forced to jump out of the way when Dropkick tried to ram him. When he missed, the Decepticon transformed, along with the three remaining Vehicons.

"Kill him!" Snarled Dropkick as he readied his plasma rockets. The Vehicons activated their machine guns, preparing to fire. However, they were not fast enough as Kup moved first. Using the butt of his shotgun, Kup bashed the chestplate of a Vehicon, knocking it off its feet. When the drone hit the ground, the veteran mech delivered a painful face stomp, splattering energon everywhere.

Raising his weapon, Dropkick fired several rockets at Kup while the remaining two Vehicons also shot their weapons. Kup performed a barrel role, dodging the first barrage as the projectiles blew up the trees and ground behind him. He then fired his shotgun again, damaging Dropkick's armor, allowing the old mech to get behind another Vehicon. Dropkick recovered quickly and launched more plasma rockets, only for Kup to use the drone as a shield. As the drone was destroyed Kup tackled the last Vehicon, ripping its right arm off before firing a bolt to the head.

"Slagging relic! Why won't you die?!" Screamed Dropkick as he fired his cannon again.

Kup used the severed arm as a makeshift club, batting the cannon away. "It will take a lot more than a punk like you and some tin head drones to put me down, Con!" Kup shouted back as he grabbed Dropkick by the back of the head. The Con tried to get Kup to let go, repeatedly punching the older mech with his fists. But Kup merely ignored the blows as he roughly snapped the cables in Dropkick's neck, before ripping his head from his shoulders.

As the Decepticon's corpse fell to the ground, Kup casually tossed the severed head aside. "And that's how we dealt with wankers back in my day." The veteran chuckled.

The coms suddenly came to life. :Kup? It's Perceptor. Trailbreaker, Hoist and I made it to the rendezvous and are getting everything ready: The scientist reported.

"Glad to hear that, mate. I'll be there in a jiffy." Kup replied before transforming and heading off.

 **(Cogman and Burton)**

Back with Cogman and Burton, the duo was still being chased by the authorities. Worse, several Bike-Vehicons had joined in, the gray Triumph Thruxtons nimbly moving through traffic as they pursued them.

Eventually the TRF and Police were slowly ganging up on them, and Cogman was making his displeasure known as he banged the car's horn. "Goddamn, they're all around us, and I just have so much road rage!"

Those words gave Burton an idea. "Actualize the rage. That's it!" He exclaimed.

One of the Vehicons was approaching the back of their vehicle. That's when Cogman moved the car to the side, hitting the drone and sending it flying backwards. The other Vehicons dodged their flying comrade as they revved up their engines.

"Oh, you want some?!" Cogman roared at one of the TRF cars as it drove alongside them. Burton meanwhile gave the middle finger to the vehicle on his side. Cogman struck the car on the right as he drove pass a pedestrian vehicle. The TRF vehicle was sent spinning as the driver tried to regain control.

The other TRF SUV was trying to catch up. "Cogman, blast them!" Burton ordered.

Rolling down his window, Cogman opened his mouth, revealing a miniature rocket as he fired the projectile. The rocket hit the black SUV dead center, blowing away the forward wheels and causing the driver to lose control.

It was at that moment they had reached a gate. Burton laughed as they drove through the main gate. Meanwhile, the damaged SUV crashed into a nearby pillar, blocking the gate. Unfortunately, that led the other SUVs to crash into it, stopping any chance to continue the pursuit.

"Good boy!" Burton complimented Cogman.

Unfortunately, the celebration was brief. The remaining Bike-Vehicons jumped over the cars and continued the chase. Now in their robot mode, with their wheel legs, the drones started to catch up to the silver Aston. "Crap…" Muttered Burton.

It was at that moment that Knock Out appeared. Jumping out of a nearby alley, the lime green Autobot transformed. Activating the wheels on his ankles, Knock Out fired one plasma cannon and destroyed a Vehicon, before doing the same with the others. In no time, all that remained of the drones were a bunch of parts lying across the street.

Burton cheered. "Good show, Knock Out. Well done!" He said to the transforming motorcycle as the Autobot drove alongside them.

 **(Bumblebee)**

Finally, we focus on Bumblebee as he was swiftly driving through the city, Cade and Viviane inside. Hot Rod had joined them not too long ago. Which was fortunate as they were now being chased by multiple cops and TRF vehicles. At the front were Barricade and Fracture, who had just appeared. :We have Decepticons on our tails, mes amies!: Hot Rod reported.

"Decepticons?!" Cade shouted, though he should've expected that the Cons would chasing them.

" _Roger, roger!"_ Bumblebee replied through the radio.

Cade let out a grunt. "This is where things get intense." He said to Viviane.

"What, you mean _more_ intense?" She asked, feeling as if things were hard enough to handle with.

Barricade and Fracture were barreling through traffic, working to reach the Autobots. They had already gotten word that the others had failed to capture their targets, with Overkill and Dropkick being killed. However, the Decepticon Enforcer was sure that their human targets were within the Autobot scout. Still, according to their information, the other Autobot was the guardian of Merlin's last descendant, so they couldn't rule out anything.

"One-way street! One-way street!" Viviane exclaimed as Bumblebee made a hard turn, Hot Rod being forced to turn a corner onto another street to keep up.

"Don't look at me! He's the one that's driving!" Cade retorted.

Behind them, several cop cars crashed as they were unable to move fast enough in time to avoid several parked vehicles. Barricade and Fracture were able to get by, though, with the former now beside Bumblebee. The police car began ramming against Bumblebee, trying to knock the Autobot scout off the road.

Cade and Viviane could feel the hits as they bounced side to side inside the transformed Camaro. "Bee, you got to shake this guy!" Yelled Cade as he tried to grab onto his seat.

Bumblebee did so by transforming into his Stealth Mode, surprising his passengers. Rotating his plasma cannon on top of him, the yellow mech took aim at the Decepticon. Before Barricade could react, the yellow scout fired several plasma bolts at the Con, causing him to be knocked off the street and forced to transform.

" _Now, that's how you get to the big leagues!"_ Bumblebee declared.

Barricade let out several grunts as he skipped across the road like a pebble. He only stopped when he hit an oncoming truck before lying on the pavement. "Ugh, that hurt." Barricade groaned.

Bumblebee transformed back into his car mode as Cade let his displeasure known. "What the hell? You could do that all along!?" The inventor yelled.

He had little time to say anything else when Fracture rammed the rear of Bumblebee, earning annoyed clicks from the yellow scout. However, the femme was not done. Deciding that subtle was no longer an option, Fracture transformed while performing a jump, preparing to use her seismic dischargers. Before she could, though, Hot Rod appeared. "No, you will not, madame! Stop the time!" Hot Rod yelled, firing another time bolt that engulfed Fracture in a time sphere, trapping her in mid-air. The black and orange mech quickly transformed back into vehicle mode and drove off. By the time Fracture was freed, the Autobots were already heading towards River Thames.

 **And there you go! Sorry for the long wait, schoolwork and the like have been keeping me busy. Anyway, next chapter will be focused on retaking the** _ **Axalon**_ **. Be sure to leave a review!**


	10. Battle for the Axalon

**And now you shall all bare witness to the battle for the Knight's Ship. Enjoy and review!**

 **(Before Cade Reached England, the** _ **Axalon**_ **)**

The group of five had been investigating the interior of the large ship for over an hour. Much of what they found were the same: wet floors, the sound of water dripping, sparks from damaged machinery and parts of the ship, and the scattered crew of Lockdown's men. Some were in forced stasis lock, while others were not so fortunate. The Autobots took noticed that several holding pens that they had walked by were empty, the glass shattered, and bindings broken.

"That does not bode well." Depthcharge muttered as he examined a rather large empty cage.

Daytrader was busy picking up anything that caught his attention. "Yeah, this nice and all, but where exactly are we going?" The scavenger asked.

Wheeljack activated a holo-projector, showing a layout of the _Axalon_. "According to the information Fixit gave me, we need to head towards the command bridge. Supposedly power can be restored there. We might even be able to activate the scanners to find out if anyone or anything is still on board." The inventor explained.

"Well, we'd had best be careful." Sea Spray noted. "Breacher and I will take the lead and Deptcharge will watch the rear in case we encounter any hostiles." The sea specialist explained.

The Autobots continued moving through the ship, using their attached lights to see through the pitch-black halls. None of them noticed the being watching them from the shadows, blue dots focused intently on the mechs.

 **(Outside the** _ **Axalon**_ **)**

At the sandy beach near _Axalon,_ new arrivals had come. Twelve mechs to be exact. At the front was Oil Slick, carrying his Cosmic Rust blaster. Next to him was Smolder, the leader of the Mayhem Attack Squad. He was a red mech with a Wildland Fire Engine. Next was Bombshock, a large green mech that possessed Tatra T816. After him was Icepick, a degenerate bluish white mech with a G6 Rhino for an alt mode. The hulking, lime green Steamhammer followed, having scanned a Caterpillar D9. Mudslinger came out next, the green and blue monster truck. Transforming from his Boeing CH-47 Chinook form, the bluish grey Windburn landed. The destructive Sledge was beside him, his yellow armor reflecting the sun, having scanned a Rockwheel Trencher. The grey armored Darkstream landed, transforming form his BAE System Corax mode. Running out next was Over-Run, the yellow mech having scanned a McLaren MCL32 for his alt mode. Finally, Undertow, the sole sea specialist on the team, with a Mark V SOC alt mode, came out. His black armor contrasted the light shining down on him. Also with them was Mindwipe, who had been sent by Megatron to assist the recovery of the ship and the 'recruitment' of the mercenaries.

"Looks like you were right, Oil Slick." Smolder commented to said Con. "Now, are you sure there are mercenaries that survived the crash?"

Oil Slick nodded, adjusting his blaster. "Yes, though they're probably in stasis. The ship has a built in energon wave disperser. If we can activate it, it will disperse a burst of energon throughout the vessel, reactivating any stasis lock Cybertronian. Though they might lash out upon coming back online." The chemical specialist explained.

"Uh, Smolder." Mudslinger said, getting his commander's attention. "My scans are picking up a dozen or more Cybertronians inside, but five of them appear to be moving."

"Survivors that came back online?" Suggested Darkstream.

"Or Autobots" Smolder said. "Undertow, patrol the areas still in the waters. Darkstream and Windburn will take the air and give us a bird's eye view report along with Mindwipe. The rest of us will move in and split into groups. One group will go to the energon generator while the other searches for this unknown lot."

The Cons nodded. Undertow immediately transformed and hit the waters. The three flyers took to the air, flying over the _Axalon_. Back with the ground forces, Oil Slick, Smolder, Over-Run, Icepick, and Sledge went in one direction, while Bombshock, Mudslinger and Steamhammer went towards another.

It wasn't long until Darkstream spotted another occupant above the ship. Skyhammer was patrolling the skies, unaware of the two Decepticons. :Well, lookie here, Windburn. An Autobot all alone: Darkstream said through the coms.

:Looks like Smolder was right: Windburn replied. :I'll let him know. This one's all yours, Darkstream:

:Ha! With pleasure!: Darkstream declared as he fired rockets at Skyhammer. The Autobot only had a few seconds to realize that he was not alone.

 **(With the Autobots)**

BOOM!

The explosion caught the attention of the Autobots within the _Axalon_ and had their heads looking around. "What was that?!" Daytrader asked.

"I don't know. Skyhammer, what's going on out there? Skyhammer?" Depthcharge tried contacting the flyer, but to no avail. "This is not good."

"We need to keep moving. Chances are we have Decepticons here too." Sea Spray said as the group began going forward.

Eventually, they had reached the walkways of the outer parts of the ship. The Autobots had to be careful as some of the platforms had broken off from the crash or were close to breaking. That made walking more difficult and yet they were able to move on. Sea Spray, Breacher and Depthcharge kept their weapons at the ready the whole time, for the event a fight broke out.

The Autobots had finally reached another corner when suddenly Bombshock and Steamhammer appeared in front of them. Both sides were shocked to see the other, but the Decepticons acted first.

"Autobots! Slag them!" Steamhammer shouted as he grabbed Breacher and slammed the sea specialist into the wall. Breacher let out a grunt of pain as he tried to pull out his plasma blaster. Sea Spray tackled the larger Con from behind, banging his fists against Steamhammer's head. Bombshock opened fire with his wrist and shoulder mounted machine guns, shooting at the other Autobots. Depthcharge moved in front of Wheeljack and Daytrader, is durable armor taking the brunt of the Decepticon's attack.

Unfortunately, that left them open from the rear as Mudslinger struck Wheeljack with a hammer. Daytrader let out a yelp as the Con attacked him next, trying desperately to dodge Mudslinger's swings.

Just as the Cons were about to overwhelm the Autobots, a small figure jumped down from the ceiling, landing on Bombshock's shoulders. Morphing his arm into a plasma cannon, the newcomer fired at the large Con's head, blowing it into pieces. "Bombshock!" Steamhammer cried, tossing aside Sea Spray and Breacher. The Decepticon tried to attack his comrade's killer, but the figure was too quick, using their small size to avoid the larger Cybertronian's attacks. They than transformed into a white-silver Smart Fortwo that zoomed underneath Steamhammer's legs. Knowing what the smaller mech was planning, Steamhammer tried to kick the mech, only for his opponent to transform back into robot mode and grab the Con's leg. Moving swiftly the mech climbed up towards Steamhammer's chest and began blasting it, ignoring the Decepticon's attempt to shake him off.

Seeing one of his comrade's dead and the other about to be killed, Mudslinger decided to retreat. Before he could, he was suddenly grabbed by Depthcharge, who roughly tossed the smaller Con into the wall. Aiming his built in left arm proton torpedo launcher, the sea specialist Autobot fired several blasts into Mudslinger's chest, destroying the upper portion of the Decepticon's body. By then, the newcomer had already finished off Steamhammer, walking off the Con's corpse.

"Everyone okay?" The figure asked.

"Yeah" Depthcharge answered, as he helped up Wheeljack. Daytrader was secretly shifting through the Cons' remains for anything useful, while Breacher and Sea Spray were getting their systems together. "Question is, who are you?"

Now that the action had died down, the Autobots were able to get a better view of the mech. He was short, taller than the femmes, but shorter than Skids and Mudflap. He had light silver armor and was a bit bulky. His blue optics stared up at the larger mechs without fear.

"Normally, I would ask you all that first, but I suppose I can begin the introductions." The mech replied. "My name is Roller. Knight and captain of the _Axalon_. Or I was, before that slagging mercenary took over."

"Wait, you're the captain?" Wheeljack asked, having regained his bearings. "But Fixit told us you were killed."

"Fixit, huh? Well, I'm glad to know that at least one of my crew survived." Roller commented. "To answer your question, no, I was not killed. In fact, Lockdown could not risk my death as I had the control schematics and security codes loaded up into my processors. It was a safety precaution Alpha Trion had set up in the event the ship was taken over. Instead, Lockdown had me locked up inside the ship's main terminal, fragging used me as a live computer."

"How did you get out, then?" Breacher asked.

"When the _Axalon_ hit the waters, the damage must've brought me out of stasis lock and freed me from my bindings. From there, I managed to regain control of the ship, killing any mercenaries or other occupants that survived the crash. I brought it here where I could hopeful do repairs in peace, heading out in the dropship to find more supplies. It's also how I scanned this new alt mode." Roller explained. "I already know who you guys are. I managed to access some of the data logs from the ship. If you're with Optimus, then I'll help you repair the _Axalon_."

 **(Decepticons)**

Meanwhile, back with the rest of the Mayhem Squad, the deaths of their own came quickly to Smolder's scanners. "Steamhammer, Bombshock and Mudslinger are offline." He muttered.

"The Autobots, no doubt." Oil Slick commented as the group made a turn. "We'll have to move quickly if we want to gain control of the ship." He said.

"Undertow, Darkstream, Windburn. Keep your optics sharp and scanners online. We got more Autobots inside the vessel." Smolder ordered.

"How are we going to take over the crew anyway?" Icepick asked. "Doesn't seem like they'd be willing to listen to us if they've been with Lockdown all this time."

"Shockwave already devised a plan for that." Smolder replied. "Mindwipe was given a device that will allow him to mind control all those that are synced with a certain radio frequency. In this case, it will be the one that the mercenaries used."

After the explanation, the group arrived in front of a large door. Oil Slick walked over towards the security keypad and typed in the combination for entry. When the door opened, the Decepticons were greeted to the sight of a large, circular room with several control panels. In the center was what appeared to be a large power core or generator.

"This is it" Oil Slick said the unasked question. He walked over to a panel and began pressing some keys. The generator began to power up. "Preparing disperser, all systems operational."

"Mindwipe, prepare for programming subjugation." Smolder ordered over the transmitters.

:Understood: The black con hissed.

In just a few seconds, the machine began powering up. Lights began to glow, and a humming noise filled the room. It then released a powerful burst of energy that moved throughout the ship, covering every corner of the giant vessel. The surge made the ship shift in the sand, slowly sliding onto the water. As the energy past over the stasis lock Cybertronians, they each began to come back online, their optics glowing and systems rebooting. At the same time, Mindwipe's hypnosis began to seep through their processors, taking over their functions. One by one, each mercenary, cyberwolf and other Cybertronians began to rise, now completely under the control of Mindwipe.

With the Autobots, the group of now six mechs felt the surge of energy passed over them. They stumbled a bit as they felt the rush of energon temporarily surge through their systems. When they finally managed to recover, Wheeljack asked the obvious question, "What is Primus' name was that?"

"The Energon Wave Disperser" Roller answered. "To be used in the event the _Axalon's_ crew is rendered in stasis lock. If the Decepticons were the ones that activated than every Cybertronian in this ship will be brought out of stasis."

At that moment, what was originally a motionless body nearby sprang to life. The mercenary lunged at the closes Autobot, Daytrader. The scavenger let out a yelp as the merc grabbed him by the shoulders. Fumbling for a bit, the junker was able to pull out a plasma blaster from somewhere among his pile of items. Firing several shots into the mercenary's chestplate, said mech fell back to the floor dead.

"Holy slag! That scared the CPU out of me!" Daytrader exclaimed as he edged away from the now corpse.

"It's only to get worse." Depthcharge said, already readying his proton launcher. "If those mercenaries all come back online at once, we'll be overrun."

"I know a way we can get rid of them." Roller replied. Once all optics were on him, he continued. "Before I found you guys, I had finished setting all the ship's systems back at the terminals. If we can get to the command bridge, I'll be able to bring the security turrets back up. They'll gun down these mechs within seconds."

"If they don't rip us apart first." Sea Spray commented as multiple voices were coming from around the corner. None of them sounded friendly, and the Autobots promptly began moving towards the command bridge.

As they fled, the mercenaries began to catch up. Those that were armed fired their laser rifles at the Autobots, who promptly returned fire. Cyberwolves were also in the mob that was chasing them, as well as junk drones. They all had a dead look in their optics, as if they were not controlling their actions.

"Is it just me, or are these guys a bit, what's the word humans have…zombie-like." Breacher said as he fired his plasma blaster.

"Doesn't really matter since I'm pretty sure they would try to kill us either way." Said Depthcharge.

The group were running through a cross section when the floor suddenly caved in. Sea Spray and Breacher were sent plummeting down several levels of the ship. The two yelled until they were caught off by a loud splash.

"Breacher! Sea Spray!" Wheeljack shouted as he turned back to the hole where the floor once was. He was stopped by Depthcharge.

"We can't help them right now. If they landed in the water, then they'll be fine. Right now, we need to get to the bridge!" The sea specialist said as he pulled the inventor along.

 **(Energon Disperser Chamber)**

With the Decepticons, the mechs could hear as the ship's crew were moving about. "Looks like the disperser worked." Mused Smolder.

"What about the Autobots?" Icepick asked his leader.

Oil Slick pressed a few buttons and activated a screen inside the room. An image came up, showing the Autobots running from mercenaries. "Judging by the area they're in, the Autobots are headed towards the command bridge. If we take the route that we came through, we might be able to cut them off."

"Icepick, Over-Turn, Sledge, head out and corner those Autobots. Oil Slick and I will check on the fighters that are still useable." Smolder ordered the three Cons. They nodded and headed off to engage the Autobots.

"Fastest way for us to reach the fighters is to go around on the outer walkways." Oil Slick explained.

"Fine. Undertow will cover us from the water. I don't want to take any chances of the Autobots attacking us on the way there." Smolder answered as the two began making their way towards the hangar.

 **(Meanwhile…)**

Back with the Autobots, said mechs were still running from the mob of mercenaries, dodging lasers as they ran. Trying to help, Daytrader tossed several miscellaneous items from his stash on the floor behind him. Whatever they were, they were quite effective in keeping their pursuers a good distance. Meanwhile, Wheeljack had been trying to contact Breacher and Sea Spray but with no luck.

"How much further?!" Yelled Depthcharge as he fired another proton torpedo.

"Next turn, up ahead!" Roller replied as he fired his plasma cannon. He inwardly grimaced as he watched more bits of the ship fall apart while running.

True enough, the Autobots were greeted to a large sealed door, with two more pathways connecting to theirs. Behind them, the mercenaries were getting closer. "Cover me while I get the door." Roller said as he tried to hotwire the control panels. Depthcharge stood in front of him to cover the smaller mech. Wheeljack brought out his triple-barrel grenade launcher while Daytrader was still shooting his plasma blaster. Mercenaries and cyberwolves fell as the three Autobots fired their weapons, knowing full well that any hesitation would mean instant death.

"I got it!" Roller cried as the door fully opened. The Autobots wasted no time in running inside even as the mercenaries fired at them. Roller quickly sealed the door shut before the attackers could get in. A few seconds later, banging could be heard from outside, forcing Depthcharge to remain guard.

Wheeljack took this moment to look at the command bridge. Like the rest of the ship, it had been damaged from the crash. The captain's chair was missing a portion of it, some of the control panels were inoperable, and finally the see-through magnetic shield was gone, allowing the air from outside to come in. "Well, I worked with worse conditions." Wheeljack muttered as he analyzed one of the panels.

"No time to lounge around. We need to get those sentries active before those mercenaries break through." Roller said before he was suddenly hit by a plasma blast. The force sent the small mech crashing into the wall.

Wheeljack and Daytrader spun around towards the source of the attack. Floating outside the command bridge's window was Windburn. "Smolder! I found the Autobots in the command bridge. They made mention of sentries and-" The Decepticon was cut off when he was hit by a pair of rockets from behind. Windburn was sent crashing into the outer wall of the _Axalon_ before falling into the water below. Coming in from behind Decepticon was a damaged Skyhammer. The flying Autobot transformed and landed in the command bridge.

"Skyhammer!" Wheeljack exclaimed as he ran over towards the injured flyer. "What happened to you?"

"Decepticons…got the drop on me a while ago. Fortunately, they didn't hit anything fatal. Just put me into temporary stasis lock. Came back online a few minutes ago." Skyhammer replied as he tried to get up. Sparks were popping up all over his armor, and signs of damage were visible too.

"Daytrader, help get Skyhammer somewhere safe. I'll check on Roller and we'll begin activating the sentries." Wheeljack ordered the scavenger.

"Ugh, I'm fine. I've been through worse." Grunted Roller as he got up from the floor. He made over towards the panels pressed some buttons. Several images popped up, showing multiple areas of the ship. Many of them had mercenaries moving about, no doubt heading towards the command bridge. Some showed the outside of the ship, giving the Autobots a view of the two remaining Decepticon flyers.

One of them Depthcharge recognized. "Mindwipe." He said. "No wonder the mercenaries are acting like zombies. That Con must be using his hypnosis to control their processors."

"Can we find where Breacher and Sea Spray are?" Wheeljack asked as he joined Roller at the controls.

 **(With Smolder and Oil Slick)**

"Windburn? Windburn, come in!" Smolder said over the coms. When he got no response, the Con growled. "Slag it all. Change of plans, we're going towards the command bridge." Smolder snarled.

"What?!" Oil Slick exclaimed. "What about the fighters? We can't just change directions now."

"Listen to me, deserter." Smolder snarled as he pointed a metal finger at the ex-Con. "Lord Megatron's orders were to reclaim this ship. If those Autobots reactivate those sentries, then we're all slagged. Now get moving before I melt you down." He threatened as he shoved his incinerator cannon at Oil Slick.

That's when the section of the wall in front of them exploded. Flying out was a white, blue, yellow and black stripped Landing Craft Air Cushion, with a blue Cybertronian hanging onto it. Smolder and Oil Slick were knocked onto their afts as the hovercraft hit the water. A loud splash was made as the boat made contact.

"What the slag?!" Exclaimed Smolder as he tried to make out what happened.

Breacher, still riding Sea Spray, began firing at the two Decepticons. Though the two Autobots were just trying to find an exit after crashing through several floors of the _Axalon_ , they couldn't miss this opportunity to take down some Decepticons. Especially after they had managed to get the drop on them.

Smolder managed to take cover behind a support beam, while Oil Slick was forced to move about while shooting back at the same time. "Undertow! Get the slag over here! We got two Autobots firing on us from the waters!" Smolder ordered.

A few seconds later, the Sea specialist Decepticon arrived. Quickly transforming, Undertow had his feet morph into water skis, allowing him to surf through the water while firing his Gatling guns at Breacher and Sea Spray. With the Autobots' attention on him, Smolder and Oil Slick were able to counterattack.

"Breacher, looks like we'll have to use our combo." Sea Spray said as he dodged bullets, photon bolts and cosmic rust beams.

"Copy. Launch me." Breacher replied as he got ready.

After avoiding another cosmic rust projectile, Sea Spray began leading Undertow to follow him, while Breacher pretended to fire back. When Undertow was directly in front of Smolder and Oil Slick did the duo act. Breacher jumped into the air, allowing Sea Spray to transform. The latter activated his wrist mounted machine guns while powering up his turbines. Before the Cons could react, Sea Spray released a powerful gust of wind from the blowback. At the same time, he and Breacher fired their respective weapons. The blowback not only sent Undertow flying right towards Smolder and Oil Slick, but the wind increased the speed of the Autobots' projectiles, tearing through Undertow's body and tore Smolder's right arm off.

The two Autobots watched with satisfaction at their work. Breacher landed on some nearby rocks that stuck out of the water. "Looks like our move worked once again. Not that I'd expect anything-" Breacher's sentence was cut off as he let out a yell of pain. A beam had shot out from the smoke and struck the Autobot through the waist.

"Breacher!" Sea Spray cried as his friend got to one knee. The sea Autobot immediately ran to his side to check his damage. Sea Spray was shocked to see that bits of Breacher's armor was starting to rust.

As the smoke cleared, it revealed Oil Slick with his rifle raised forward. The chemical specialist than morphed his right arm into a grenade launcher. Taking aim, Oil Slick fired three grenades that were obviously filled with more cosmic rust. Sea Spray's optics widened as the projectiles headed right for them. With no other options, he grabbed Breacher and dived into the ocean, diving deeper as quick as he could. The grenades exploded upon contact, covering both the air and water in that area with cosmic rust. Sea Spray just barely avoided the explosion, feeling bits of the rust going against the back of his armor.

Oil Slick vented some air as he retracted his grenade launcher. "If that didn't kill them then it at least injured them severely." He said to himself. Oil Slick turned his attention towards Smolder, who had managed to overcome the pain from losing his arm. "Can you walk?" Oil Slick asked.

"Ugh, yes. I'm still functional." Replied Smolder. He picked up his Incinerator Cannon. "We proceed to the Command Bridge. Stopping the Autobots from reclaiming this ship is vital." He finished as the two continued moving forward.

 **(Command Bridge)**

Wheeljack flinched as another loud bang vibrated against the door. Skyhammer had managed to recover enough to help Depthcharge reinforce the door. Meanwhile, Roller and Wheeljack were working to bring the systems online. Daytrader had thankfully activated the shutters, ensuring that there would be no more surprises from the windows.

"Almost there. Just a few more…" Roller murmured. He opened a panel lid and was working underneath the terminal control.

Wheeljack nodded as he clicked a few buttons. "I still can't get through to Breacher and Sea Spray. I hope they're okay." The inventor commented.

"Wherever they are, they're probably better off than we are." Depthcharge added as he held the door back.

As he kept working, Roller let out a grunt. "Ack, some of these wires and gears are busted. I need new ones."

"I got some on me." Daytrader answered. Reaching into his large pile of miscellaneous items, the scavenger handed several objects to Roller, who quickly took them before ducking back underneath the panel.

It was at that moment the door was smashed open. Depthcharge and Skyhammer were sent sprawling backwards, falling on their rears. Tearing through the remains of the doorway were Icepick, Over-Run and Sledge, with dozens of mercenaries and cyberwolves behind them. They all had their weapons out and armed.

"Scrap!" Wheeljack exclaimed.

Icepick pointed his machine gun at the inventor. "Kill them all!" He ordered.

"Not on my watch!" Daytrader bravely exclaimed. Pulling out several small round devices, the junker threw them at the invaders. The devices immediately attached themselves to the three Cons and several mercs behind them. They soon began beeping, showing a blinking red light that started to speed up. Before anyone could even speak, the devices blew up, rendering the Decepticons and mercenaries into bits of metal. The ones directly behind them were also killed, hit by the flying shrapnel.

The Autobots were all silent, unable to believe what just happened. Finally, Skyhammer broke the silence. "Holy slag…"

Following that, the entire command bridge began to light up as the power finally came online. Screens flashed multiple images, both inside and outside the _Axalon_. The sound of the ship coming to life surrounded them. "The ship is alive!" Roller exclaimed as he crawled out. "Wheeljack!"

"Right!" Wheeljack replied. Looking over the control panels, he gave a rundown. "All systems are active! Including the sentry turrets. Activating them…now!"

In that second, all the turrets came to life around the ship. Before the hundreds of other mercenaries, junkbots and cyberwolves could even react, they were gunned down by the security guns. None of them stood a chance as they were cut apart exactly where they stood. Smolder and Oil Slick fared no better, the former was completely shot to pieces while Oil Slick was sent falling down a nearby shoot. Outside, Mindwipe and Darkstream flew overhead and watched the event take place.

:No!: Darkstream cried. He had already seen Windburn and Undertow killed and was now watching as the rest of his team was slaughtered. :Curse them to the Pit. I'll slaughter those Autobots!:

:You shall do no such thing, Darkstream: Mindwipe said. :The mission is failure. We must return and report this to Lord Megatron.:

:No! I won't let the squad's reputation be destroyed! If you hadn't-: Darkstream's ranting was cut off when Mindwipe, who had been flying behind him all this time, fired two well placed rockets at his fellow Con. The projectiles struck Darkstream right on, destroying his thrusters and sending the Con spiraling towards the water as a smoking heap. With that done, Mindwipe turned around and headed back to England.

Back with the Autobots, the mechs felt their joints finally relax as the immediate danger had passed. Though they came back to focus that there were other tasks to follow through with. "Okay, that's enough lounging around. Wheeljack, help me do a system check. We don't know how much is damaged and if this thing is even flight worthy." Roller ordered.

"Got it" Wheeljack replied as the two got to work.

"I'm going to go and look for Breacher and Sea Spray." Said Depthcharge. The large sea specialist immediately hurried out the door.

"I think I felt the ship move a little." Skyhammer noted as he stood up, leaning on the wall for support. He was still slightly injured from Darkstream's surprise attack. "We must have dislodged from the island and begun floating across the water."

"In that case I'll see where we are right now." Wheeljack said as he pressed a few buttons. A screen popped up, showing their current location. "Oh, we're only a 100 mile out from Havana, Cuba. Might as well let Camshaft and the others know the good news."

 **And there is chapter 10! Be sure to leave a review of what you think. Next chapter will be featuring Cade and the others diving underwater, as well as Wingblade arriving to the Autobot's Forward Base.**


	11. Moving Forward

**We're nearing the final battle. Be sure to enjoy. Also, to the person named mark, stop posting reviews on my other stories about updating. Its rude and annoying!**

 **On a side note, I've been hearing talk about the Transformers series might be doing a reboot or something, so people have been asking me about a sequel after this story. After seeing Avengers: Infinity War, I might do a sequel/crossovers with them. It would be interesting and would mix well with each other. What do you think?**

 **Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **(Present Time, Junkyard)**

"I think I need my optics fixed. Anyone else seeing what I'm seeing?" Evac asked.

He and a few others had risen early this morning. There still had been no word from Bumblebee and Cade and the Autobots were getting restless. What's more, Adam's condition still hadn't changed, though it hadn't worsened either fortunately. Ratchet was still keeping an optic on him just in case. Meanwhile, Prowl had decided to schedule Autobots for guard duty, switching every five hours. After the Decepticon and TRF attack, the lieutenant did not want to take any chances.

However, when Crosshairs, who was on guard duty at the time, noticed something in the sky, he immediately awakened the others to see it too. Said thing was none other than Cybertron, their home planet. It could be seen just past the clouds, faintly but enough for the Autobots and probably everyone else on the planet to see it too.

"You an't going crazy, Evac. I'm seein it too." Hound replied as he chewed on his cigar. "Kind of creepy if ya ask me."

For the Autobots, it had been untold years since they last saw their planet. Cybertron had become nothing more than a dried husk, bits of it breaking off. What should've brought comfort to the Cybertronians instead filled them with unease and trepidation. The sparklings were making their displeasure known from their whimpering, trying to make themselves even smaller. The femmes were doing their best to ease the young ones' worrying.

"It appears that Ultra Magnus was correct." Ratchet commented. He had left the medical room, leaving Jolt in charge to watch over Adam. "Cybertron was indeed heading towards Earth."

Prowl frowned as he stared up at Cybertron, subconsciously clenching his fists. "This isn't good. We may just have to leave on Omega Supreme if the situation worsens." The lieutenant said to Jazz and Ironhide, the two standing beside him.

The coms suddenly came to life. :Prowl, this is Fixit from the observation post. I'm picking up a lone aircraft entering our perimeter. Coming from the east.: The orange mech reported.

Most of the Autobots turned their heads towards said direction. Sure enough, flying towards them was a grey, green-trimmed A-10 Thunderbolt II. It was headed on a direct path towards the junkyard.

"Decepticon? Or maybe TRF?" Silverbolt asked, ready to fly and intercept it.

"The humans wouldn't do something as foolish as send just one of their pilots after us. And the Decepticons know better than that too." Prowl replied. "Fixit, is the craft giving any kind of signal?"

:One sec sir: Fixit said as he typed in a few keys. :Yes…yes! I'm getting an Autobot signal from the craft:

A few minutes later the Thunderbolt finally arrived too the Junkyard. Still in mid-air, it transformed into robot mode and skillfully landed on the ground. The craft was revealed to be none other than Wingblade.

The aerial weapon specialist's appearance brought positive reactions from the Autobots. "Wingblade!" Ironhide exclaimed, recognizing one of his cadets from the early stages of the war.

"Sup, old timer." Wingblade said as he greeted the others.

"Haven't seen ya since the battle of Iacon. Where ya been?" The black mech asked as he and some of the others crowded around the new arrival.

"Been at England with some of the other refugees." Wingblade explained.

"England? Does that mean you saw Bee and Cade? Are they okay?" Asked Arcee as she rolled up to them.

Wingblade nodded. "Yeah, last time I saw them they were good. I was told to come here and bring this to you guys for an Adam." The flyer said as he revealed the armor of King Arthur. "I managed to even scan this sweet new alt mode." He added, referring to his new form.

Ratchet took the armor from Wingblade to examine it. A brief scanned showed that the armor was made from cyber-matter. From an outside view, it looked like fancy armor. But Ratchet's scans showed that the armor was like the shells that all Cybertronians have when they reached a certain age in their growth.

"Wingblade, just where did you get this?" The Chief Medical officer asked.

Before the flyer could respond, Ratchet's transmitter came to life. :Ratchet! This is Jolt! We got an emergency!: The junior medic exclaimed.

"What? What's happening?" Asked Ratchet.

:Adam's vitals just spike! And it looks like he's having a seizure. I'm also picking up a change in his bloodstream, as if its being altered: Explained Jolt.

"How could that have…unless…" Muttered Ratchet as he looked down at the armor in his hand. Without another word, the yellow green mech ran back inside the base. The other Autobots looked at one another, unsure of what was going on.

"Hey what's that?" Izabella suddenly asked. She was sitting on Canopy's shoulder, facing the south. In her arms was another sparkling, Matchstick. The young Cybertronian was clicking with curiosity.

Some of the other Autobots joined her to see what she saw. Said object was floating in the sky but below the clouds. It originally looked like a large black dot, it soon started to get bigger and take a more intricate form. When it was just a few miles away, were they able to figure out what it was.

"Ha ha! It's the _Axalon_!" Hound cheered, a sentiment shared by the other Autobots. "Wheeljack and that slagger Daytrader got us a ship!"

"About damn time!" Commented Crosshairs.

"C'mon boys! Let's go greet them!" Silverbolt said to Air Raid and Breakaway. The two Aerialbots nodded and the three took off, followed by the other flyers.

Chromia rolled up to Elita. The blue femme was holding Terraquake. "Look like things are starting look up, right sister?" Chromia asked as the femmling began squirming. Unlike when Cybertron appeared, the sight of the massive Cybertronian ship made the sparklings feel excited. Arcee was trying to keep the other young ones from going to far in their attempt to reach the _Axalon_.

Half an hour later, the _Axalon_ , now fully repaired, floated near the Autobot's forward base. It was manned by the combatants from Cuba, including Camshaft, Dune Runner, Hubcap, Rollbar, Landmine and the Omnicons. Simmons, Leo and Dutch had also come along for the ride too. They were helping the Autobots at the Forward Base move all necessary supplies onto the large ship. Omega Supreme had left with Fixit and Daytrader, to drop off the sparklings in Cuba, where they would be cared for by the refugees that remained there. They would come back for them once Cybertron was deemed safe. Izzy and Jimmy were gawking at the vessel. Wheeljack, Prowl and Jazz were in the command bridge, while Roller sat at the captain's chair, prepping the ship. Wheelie and Brains were proving helpful, using their small bodies to move around the command bridge, looking for any problems that might've been missed.

"And that's what happened." Wheeljack said, finishing his story.

"Well, that was a pretty interesting story. Eh, Prowl?" Jazz mused.

Prowl nodded. "Indeed. But what about Breacher and Sea Spray?" The lieutenant asked.

"Fortunately, Depthcharge managed to fish them out and get them to the Omnicons in time." Replied Wheeljack. "Both took some hits from cosmic rust, but the sea water managed to wash most of it away before it could do any irreversible damage. They're at Cuba recovering."

"That's good to hear." Prowl commented. "What's that status on the _Axalon_?"

Wheeljack looked at said massive ship. "Good news is that we repaired it, so it can fly properly. Thanks to the Omnicons, Dark Matter drives are at 100%, and all heavy damages have been fully fixed. The bad news is that a good bunch of the turrets were destroyed, and even with the repairs done only a third of them properly work. Same for the assault carriers, almost all of them were unrepairable, though I managed to fix at least two of them. The dropship is also fully functional too. The others I used to replace the turrets we couldn't fix." The inventor summarized.

"What about the fifth transport ship? Do you think you could fix it and reattach it to the ship?" Jazz asked.

"I don't know if I can. The Wreckers and I did a lot of customization, and even before that it was pretty messed up from the crash." Wheeljack answered. "However, we were able to find Teletraan-1. She must've been taken by Lockdown when he captured the _Ark_. Roller is currently working on uploading her to the _Axalon_ 's systems."

Prowl nodded. "Good. I'm sure she'll appreciate being back online after several years of inactivity. Thank you, Wheeljack." The inventor nodded before walking off to help with the preparations. That just left Jazz and Prowl. "Now according to Wingblade, Cybertron is currently under the command of a femme who claims to be our people's goddess. It doesn't take a genius to know she has ill intentions for us, especially if she's the one who sent Lockdown."

"Bad news is that a lot of folks want to just leave Earth to whatever that bitch has planned. Many of them still hold grudges over what Cemetery Wind and TRF have done." Said Jazz. "It'd be really good to have Optimus here right now. He'd know how to settle matters."

"Knowing Ultra Magnus, he and the others have probably reached Cybertron by now. We can only hope they succeed in finding Prime and the other Protectobots." Prowl commented.

Meanwhile, inside the base's medical room, Ratchet and Jolt were running around in an effort to stabilize Adam. Said teenager was breathing heavily, his body struggling against the med bed and sweat going down his face. Machines watching his vitals were beeping rapidly, as if expressing Adam's discomfort. The armor that Wingblade had brought was resting to the side.

"I don't get it. Just what could be causing Adam so much pain?" Ratchet asked out loud as he looked at several machines.

"It might be he's having a seizure. But I'm picking up a massive amount of bio-energy from him, too." Jolt replied. "It's steadily growing, repairing the wounds he suffered but is now spreading to the rest of his body. At this rate he might burst from the build-up. If only we had something to help him contain it."

Those words made Ratchet paused, something about them forming a thought in his processors. He looked at Adam's moving body and then the cyber-matter made armor several times. It was only after several seconds, did the solution hit the Chief Medic like one of Ironhide's shells.

"That's it!" Ratchet exclaimed, startling Jolt. "Why did I not see it sooner?" He asked himself as he began picking away at the armor.

"Sir?" Asked Jolt, confused.

Without looking up, Ratchet explained. "Adam was born when the energies of the Allspark impregnated his mother. As we already know, Adam possesses some of the Cube's powers, and is technically half Cybertronian. If the injuries he sustained were great enough, then the energies inside him must've kicked in and begun to rapidly heal him. But that's not all they did. The Allspark's energies are slowly merging cyber-matter with his human organic body. The massive build up of energy is too much for Adam's pure flesh form, however, which is where this armor comes from, or should I say…"

Ratchet managed to take the chest plate of the armor off. Walking pass Jolt, the yellow-green medic carefully placed the armor piece over Adam's chest. The moment it made contact, the armor completely merged with Adam, shining briefly before dying down. Adam began to relax a bit more and his vitals started to return to normal.

Jolt, who watched all this, was flabbergasted. "Incredible! What just happened?"

"This isn't just armor, it's an outer shell." Ratchet answered. "Like when Cybertronians need a new shell as they get older, this armor is to help accelerate the merger between Adam's Cybertronian and Human biology. That way, the increase of energy flowing through him won't harm his body." He mused. "Whoever designed this armor must've seen this event beforehand. But, anyway help me prepare the next pieces, Jolt. Make sure to keep track of Adam's vitals and any other signs of changes."

Now fully understanding what was going on, Jolt nodded seriously. "Understood!" The junior medic replied before assisting his mentor.

 **(Back in England)**

After finally losing the police, TRF and the Decepticons, the Autobots were able to reach the meeting spot. Not to far from London, with Hot Rod leading them, Bumblebee, Cade and Viviane arrived at an abandoned harbor next to River Thames. Waiting for them were Kup, Trailbreaker, Hoist, Perceptor, Cogman, Knock Out and Burton.

As Cade and Viviane got out of the transforming Camaro, the inventor spotted something resting in the water. It was a large submarine, big enough to fit the Autobots. The metal was not of that from Earth, but instead made from Cyber-matter. Cade had been with the Autobots long enough to recognize it.

"Well its about time." Cogman huffed, left optic twitching. "We have much to do and little time to dilly daily." The Headmaster said as he climbed into a smaller doorway of the submarine.

Burton rolled his eyes. "Forgive him, Cogman gets cranky at this time of the day." Burton explained. Ignoring the 'Do not!' the elder man continued. "Do you have the coordinates."

"Here" Viviane said as she pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket before handing it to Burton. Instead, it was Perceptor who took it. "I think they're coordinates. They were written in some kind of language I didn't understand." Viviane explained.

"It's Cybertronian, our language." Perceptor revealed as he scanned the letters. "Fascinating. This must've been left behind Merlin before his death. I can only assume he left clues in various scriptures for his descendants to decipher. And appears that your father was able to do so."

"All we have to do is key in the coordinates, and this old girl will take us there." Kup summarized as he pointed at the submarine.

"Yeah, what's the deal with that? You guys built that?" Cade asked as he examined the vessel.

"Not exactly. See most of it used to be a Cybertronian that lived on Earth since World War 1. Sadly, with the damage she took, and a severe lack of Energon, most of her higher functions shut down. I doubt even Hatchet could fix her. There was nothing we could do when we found the girl. With her consent, we modified her using the parts from a destroyed transport carrier used in Chicago to make her a bigger submarine, named it the _Miranda_ by some of the lads." Explained Kup. "According to her, the staff is at the bottom of the ocean, but she didn't have the power to reach there. Plus, we lacked its location too."

"Until now that is." Burton finished. "With your father's work, we'll finally be able to find the staff. Though, to be precise, you will. I must head back to London." The man said before walking towards the silver Aston.

That caught Cade by surprised. "Wait, you're not coming with us?"

Burton shook his head sadly. "No, I'm afraid I have things to do. Rally the defense for the coming storm."

"But my lord" Cogman said, popping his head from the sub. "You've been waiting over fifty years for this moment." The butler commented.

"I have Cogman, I have. But, we all need to be somewhere. And I am needed back in London. You are needed here, with Cade and Viviane." Burton replied.

"Ed" Kup said, using Burton's first name. "I'll have Hoist and Knock Out go with you. Hot Rod will follow you near the city limits before regrouping with the others. Don't get yourself killed, okay lad?"

Burton smiled at the old Cybertronian. Besides Cogman, Kup had been with Burton and his family since World War 1. He was one of his oldest friends and one of the few who could call him by his first name. "Thank you, Kup. And Cade." He said, getting the inventor's attention. "I truly thank you for taking care of young Adam. To be honest, his mother was like a daughter to me. And knowing he was alive made me feel very happy."

Cade was quiet for a moment, before offering a smile of his own. "No problem. To be honest, Adam had been taken care of me these past three years. Just make sure you live through this to meet him." Cade replied.

Nodding, Burton entered the Aston before taking off. His three escorts followed behind him. That just left Cade, Viviane, Cogman, Kup, Perceptor, Trailbreaker and Bumblebee. As well as a large submarine.

Kup clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, enough with the emotional moment. We got work to do. Trailbreaker, Perceptor, prep the sub for launch. Bumblebee, I'll guide you through the controls, might as well make yourself useful. I suggest you three get yourself comfortable in the smaller quarters. The moment we leave this harbor, those TRF chumps will be on us like Sharkticons after a meal."

With that said, they began making their way into the _Miranda_. As Cogman and the humans entered a side entrance fit for their size, the Autobots got in through a hatch at the top of the submarine. The interior of the vessel was large enough for the four mechs to move around with ease. It also had several sections made for the humans, including a platform for them to walk on that was on the sides of the sub's control room.

Cade and Viviane were in awe of the interior, looking up and down, slowly moving in circles as they tried to take everything in. They were snapped out of their stupor when Kup spoke up from the steering wheel. "Ms. Viviane. If you would do us the honor." Kup asked, gesturing towards a scanning machine near the platform. It had already been turned on, waiting for the coordinates to be put in.

Swallowing, Viviane nodded. Slowly, she placed the piece of paper on top of the machine. A small light appeared and scanned the paper, the letters on the parchment shining as the light ran over them. Seconds later, the entire submarine began to shake for only a moment, followed by the interior coming to life and machines were turned on, the engine activating with a hum.

Kup laughed. "Aha! The old girl still got it. We're in businesses lads and lass!" The ancient mech cheered as he began moving the wheel.

As the _Miranda_ started to move away from the harbor, the Autobots were unaware of the black Ram truck watching them from afar. As the vessel moved through the river towards the ocean, Nemesis Prime proceeded to follow them, keeping a distance.

 **(Atlantic Ocean)**

Back with the US fleet, TRF had been struggling to locate the Autobots. After the whole car chase in London, the Cybertronians had vanished. There had been no causalities except for two Decepticons and several of their Vehicons, and fortunately no civilians had been gravely hurt, something Lennox rubbed into Santos's face about. London police force and ambulances had been dispatched to help with the wounded, and MI6 also stayed behind to help, thus leaving TRF and the US fleet to handle the operation on their own.

That's when something came onto their radar. A radio man ran up to the ship's captain. "Sir, we've picked up an unclassified submarine moving through the River Thames." The sailor reported.

"Unclassified? What do you mean by that?" The captain asked.

"It's a Transformer." Santos cleared up as he looked at a picture taken from a helicopter. It showed a large submarine moving through the river. "The Autobots are in there, probably Yeager too."

Lennox looked at the map too. "They must be making for the ocean, towards open waters. We need to box them in and surround them before they get too far." The Colonel said.

"I want two of our closes subs on that vessel. Stop them from getting to far. Orders are not to destroy. Incapacitate but not destroy." The captain ordered.

"Epps, Graham, get the SEAL teams ready. We're going to follow them in submersibles and retrieve the talisman." Ordered Lennox. The four TRF operatives proceeded out of the ship's command bridge.

Back with the Autobots' submarine, the vessel had already passed the White Cliffs of Dover before diving. They had already gone down several miles when the radars started blaring. The humans stiffened as they heard the noise, while Autobots remained focus on their assigned tasks.

"What-what's that noise for?" Viviane asked.

Cogman walked up to a human-sized radar. The device was showing two white blimps closing in on them. "Oh, nothing much mam. Just nuclear submarines closing in on us."

"Wait, subs?! As in hostile?!" Cade exclaimed.

"Two of them to be precise." Kup added. "Looks like those blokes found us. Hang on tight everyone, this might get a little rough!" He declared as he started making more complex turns on the wheel. The _Miranda_ started to descend faster, with the two nuclear subs in hot pursuit. One of them fired a torpedo that just barely scratched the edge of the Cybertronian sub. The impact still caused the vessel to shake a little, nearly knocking the humans off the platform.

"Oh my god! They're shooting at us!" Viviane exclaimed as she tried to straighten herself.

"That was a warning shot. They can't risk killing us so long as we have the one thing that could lead them to the staff." Perceptor explained.

"So, we'll be okay, right? It's not like they can actually blow this submarine up, right?" Cade asked as he held onto the platform railing bars.

"The _Miranda_ wasn't design for naval warfare. Its plating will protect us for a good while, but not indefinitely. Plus, when water starts leaking, you humans will be running out of oxygen." Replied Trailbreaker.

Suddenly, the _Miranda_ shook again, a sign that another torpedo hit them. Kup scowled. "Slag, I'm getting sick of this. Time for some fancy maneuvers!" He exclaimed.

The _Miranda_ began going straight upwards as another torpedo flew by it. The Autobots held onto their seats while the two humans tightened their grip on the rail bars. The sub began doing a backwards flip before it spun around and was right side up. Now it was diving straight towards the two nuclear submarines.

"Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?!" Cade shouted as he and Viviane plopped on the platform with a light thud.

"A trick I did back in the asteroid belt, Pallas, when dodging warships while piloting a freighter. Trailbreaker! Gonna need ya to create a force field around the entire sub. Perceptor, get him set up and be quick about it!"

"On it, Kup!" Trailbreaker shouted as he and Perceptor got to work. The Autobot scientist hooked the larger mech to the ship's power generator, in order to boost Trailbreaker's barrier.

"Wait, what's going on?" Viviane asked as she looked out the front window. From there, she could see them slowly nearing the two subs. Said vessels were trying to move out of the way but were not going fast enough.

Just as the _Miranda_ was a few inches from contact, a see-through barrier covered the whole vessel. The barrier struck the two nuclear submarines, smacking them aside. The impact also caused them to spin a little and most likely disorient the crew members on board. Meanwhile, the _Miranda_ continued diving deeper and deeper into the sea.

Bumbelee looked at the radar and when he saw no new blimps appearing, he gave a series of chirps and clicks. "Ha! Knew that would work. Good job, Trailbreaker!" Kup said after hearing the yellow bot's report.

Perceptor had removed the cables from Trailbreaker, who promptly collapsed on his rear, exhausted from the amount of energy he had to use for the barrier. The lights of the sub soon returned, revealing Viviane and Cade in a rather compromised position. Cogman did not appreciate it.

"Come on you, get off her." Cogman ordered as he roughly pulled Cade up. "There is a time and a place for everything, and this is not the time, _nor_ the place." He then walked ahead towards the old torpedo tubes. "Kup, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon." The butler Cybertronian said.

"Roger that, mate. It's smooth sailing from here to take your time." Kup said as Cogman proceeded to shoot him out into the water. Cade and Viviane just watched the whole thing with gobsmacked expressions.

Cade was the first to find his voice. "T-that psycho just launched himself out like a torpedo!" He exclaimed.

"I know" Viviane shouted back, to the amusement of the Autobots.

 **(London)**

Back in the city of London, other business was being conduct. Currently, parked outside, not to far from Number 10 Downing Street was the silver Aston. Across the street was Knock Out in his vehicle mode, while Hoist was around the corner. The distance between them was to keep suspicion off them while Burton tried to get an audience with the Prime Minister. As they waited for Burton, the two Autobots talked over the coms.

:Do you think Lord Burton will be able to convince the Prime Minister?: Knock Out asked.

:That depends if he can get past security: Hoist commented. :Still, the Order of Wiccan had members as Prime Minister, like Winston Churchill. It's possible they might listen. I'm more concerned about the others. With both the Decepticons and TRF after us, there's a chance they might have been intercepted:

:I'm not worried. Wingblade is one of our fastest flyers, so he probably got to America alright. And the others have Kup with them. The old geezer's been through enough to know how to escape every situation there is: Knock Out reassured. :And speaking of geezers, Lord Burton is coming back. Looks pissed too:

Sure enough, Burton was walking away from Number 10 entrance. There was a hard frown set on his face as he gave one last glare towards the security. "Dickheads." He muttered to himself before looking at Knock Out. With a brief nod of his head, Burton then made his way through an alleyway between Number 10 and the building next to it. No doubt he knew of a secret entrance to reach the Prime Minister.

:Hoist, we just got the signal. I'm going ahead and will meet up with the others: Knock Out said before materializing a holographic driver. He then took off.

:Copy that, I'll be behind you: Hoist replied as he turned around the corner. Stopping in front of the silver Aston, Hoist's holographic driver came out and attached the tow crane's hook to the underneath of the silver car. Once that was done, Hoist drove off, pulling along the car behind him. The humans around them were none the wiser.

 **(Cybertron)**

As the home planet of the Autobots and Decepticons was making its way towards Earth, the _Iron Will_ was making its approach. Aboard the vessel was Ultra Magnus at the wheel, with Springer and Gears readying their weapons, as well as First Aid and Blades. With Magnus at the front was Cosmos. The scout had been picked up to help with any info he had managed to acquire with Cybertron's approach.

The ship headed towards the ruins of Iacon, the once proud capital of the Autobots. "You sure this is the place, Cosmos?" Magnus asked. Seeing the city, or what was left of it, brought up troubled memories for the lieutenant.

The slightly-round Autobot nodded in confirmation. "Definitely. I picked up multiple chatter when I was performing recon. I heard several mentions of prisoners being sent near to the Decagon. There is also a large number of Cybertronians guarding the facility. If Optimus and the other Protectobots are being held somewhere, it has to be there." Cosmos explained.

"Very well." Magnus decided. The _Iron Will_ soon landed on the closes, and the most stable, landing pad. "I'm activating jammers, so we won't be spotted. Gears, you and Cosmos will remain here with the ship. Something tells me we'll be needing to make a quick getaway. Springer you'll take Blades and First Aid to find their brethren. I will look for Optimus." Ultra Magnus ordered as he readied his neutron blaster rifle. "Be ready to face either Decepticons, Star Seekers and who knows what else. Do not show any mercy, because none will be given to you."

 **There you have it. The** _ **Axalon**_ **has arrived at the junkyard. The Autobots are preparing for battle. Cade and the others are on their way to retrieve the staff and Magnus' team is getting ready to save Optimus Prime and the other prisoners. Please review!**


	12. Arrival of the Harbinger

**Rescue time! And we'll finally see some action from Nemesis Prime. Be sure to leave a review and enjoy!**

 **(Decagon, Cybertron)**

The once Autobot fortress was dead quiet, saved for the sound of creaking metal underneath Ultra Magnus's feet. The large mech moved with great caution so as not to alert possible sentries. His neutron blaster rifle was at the ready as Magnus's optics scanned his surroundings. There had yet to be any signs of other Cybertronians, but that didn't mean he could let his guard down. It could be that most of their forces were concentrated at the Hall of Records. That meant this was the best opportunity to free Optimus.

As he reached the corner of the hallway, Magnus picked up voices. Leaning against the wall, he carefully peeked his head around the corner. Up ahead there were three Cybertronians. The first was Bombast, a large bulky green mech. Next was a pink-colored femme, Cameo, who was holding a pair of submachine guns. Finally, there was Contagion, a large, bulky navy blue and yellow mech with a hunched back with two large pumps on his shoulders. He was carrying a corrosive slime shooter, a dangerous weapon second only to Sentinel's cosmic rust cannon. However, what caught Magnus's attention was the sealed door beside them, as well as a sword, shield and blaster in the center of the three.

' _Has to be where Optimus is being held.'_ Magnus thought as he took out an EMP grenade. With a strong throw, he threw the grenade right at Bombast's feet.

"Huh?" Was all the green mech could say before the electromagnetic pulse went off. The three Cybertronians shouted in surprise as their systems were temporarily disabled. That was Magnus's signal to move forward. Raising his blaster, he immediately gunned down Cameo, who didn't even stand a chance. He bashed aside Bombast with his shoulder before being forced to dodge a burst of corrosive slime heading his way. Contagion had managed to recover somewhat and was now firing wildly in order to hit Magnus.

The Autobot lieutenant responded by firing one of his shoulder rockets at the Star Seeker. The blast knocked Contagion's weapon out of his hand. The large mech was finished off when Magnus fired another missile that blew off Contagion's head from his neck. That just left Bombast, who had only recovered only to be shot right through the chest by Magnus.

With the guards down, Magnus made his way over to the cell. Deactivating the lock, the door slid open, revealing Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader had was held up by chains around his wrists, and he looked rather weak and he did not seem to respond to Magnus's presence. Ultra Magnus ran up to Optimus and did a quick scan of his leader, showing that the Prime was low on Energon and was currently in stasis lock.

Magnus immediately removed the bindings and laid Optimus against the wall. He then pulled out a cube of energon he had kept in his subspace before feeding it to Optimus. He watched as the energy went through Prime's systems, and life returned to his optics. "Optimus? Optimus, can you hear me?" Magnus asked.

As his optics and receptors started to come back online, Optimus let out a groan as he looked up. "Ultra Magnus?" Optimus asked, seeing his old lieutenant.

"On your feet, old friend. We're leaving." Magnus said as he helped Optimus up. The blue mech held up Optimus's Ion Blaster. "Can you still fight?"

Optimus nodded as he balanced himself. He grabbed his weapon and checked it over before grabbing his sword and shield. "Do you have a plan of escape, Magnus?" Optimus asked.

"My ship is waiting at the highest landing pad, in order to avoid detection. However, there are other prisoners here, Autobots. I have Springer, First Aid and Blades searching for them." Magnus explained.

"Then we should assist them. I may have been weakened, but I will not let that stop me in saving fellow Autobots." Optimus declared as he hefted his Ion Blaster.

The two proceeded to walk out of the cell and head towards where the other rescue team was. They had not even made it a hundred feet when a feminine voice filled the halls. :Can you hear me, Optimus Prime?: The voice asked.

"Quintessa…" Optimus growled.

:I detected intrusion the moment your guards were killed: The sorceress said in a haughty tone. :Know that everything you do is futile. I shall have my staff, Unicron and Earth will die, and Cybertron will be restored:

"We will not allow you to do that, Quintessa! I won't let an entire species die just to destroy Unicron!" Optimus declared.

Quintessa merely chuckled sinisterly. :Fighting for others not of your kind, unwilling to make the sacrifices needed for victory. Just like how Alpha Trion was, even to the very end:

"What do you mean by that?" Optimus demanded, wondering how she knew of his mentor and caretaker.

:It does not matter. You are no longer needed, seeing how you will not fulfill the purpose give upon you: Quintessa replied. :Farewell, Optimus Prime: She finished as her voice went silent.

That's when the two Autobots picked up a noise from outside. Before they could react, the wall they were near exploded, sending both Optimus and Magnus falling out of the building and downwards. Fortunately, they were able to use the various parts of the Decagon that stuck out to lessen their thirty-feet fall. Both mechs landed with a loud grunt when they finally hit the ground.

As their systems recovered, Optimus and Magnus realized they were not alone. Surrounding them were the members of the Star Seekers, as well as Straxus, with his pick-axe at the ready. Flying in the air in his vehicle mode was Switchblade. "Take them!" Straxus ordered as Snow Cat, a steel-blue and white mech grabbed Optimus by the neck from behind, while Pitstop, a large blue and yellow striped mech hefted his large plasma rocket launcher.

Before they could execute the Autobots, Springer came flying out of the building in his Apache form before transforming. As he dived towards the ground, the green mech pulled out a dual-sided sword from his subspace compartment. Snow Cat had no time to react when Springer spun his blade, cutting off the Star Seeker's left arm and then head.

"Springer!" Magnus exclaimed, before the three Autobots were forced to shelter. After coming out of their shock, the other Star Seekers opened fire on them. The three Autobots returned fire, forcing their enemies to cover

"Don't worry!" Springer said as he brought out his laser rifle. "Calvary is right behind me!"

True enough, the sound of multiple engines filled the area. Driving out from the Decagon's main entrance were six vehicles. Two of them were First Aid and Blades. After them was the Protectobot leader, Hot Spot, a light blue mech with a Pierce Manufacturing Enforcer Fire Truck alt mode, the largest vehicle among the six. Next was Groove, the smallest member, with a white, blue and yellow Yamaha FJR1300A Motorcycle. The last two were Streetwise and Rook, the former a white and red stripped mech with a Nissan 370Z Police Car mode and the latter a black and white mech with a Lenco BearCat Truck for his alt mode.

They knocked aside several Star Seekers blocking their path before positioning themselves between the enemy and comrades. The Protectobots immediately transformed, showing their angered expressions. Hot Spot was the one who spoke first. "Time to give some payback! Protectobots, combine!" He yelled as he transformed to form a large chest as well as waist and upper legs.

Rook and Streetwise followed next, Rook forming a large lower right leg and foot, while Streetwise transformed into a lower left leg and foot. First Aid shifted into left arm that attached to Hot Spot, a hand popping out. Blades did the same, though he instead transformed into a right arm with a hand. Finally, Groove transformed into a large head, as well as a chest plate too.

"Defensor online!" The combiner bellowed as it stared down at the pirates. Said Cybertronians were slowly backing away, now realizing the opponent they were facing. Before they could react, Defensor brought out a pair of photon pulse cannons on his arms and opened fire. The cannons released explosive energy that automatically killed Pitstop, as well as Vectorium, a red and grey mech, and Rollcage, a black, purple and yellow femme. More Star Seekers were sent flying while others immediately took cover. Straxus also joined them, firing his neutron machine gun, plasma grenade launcher and missile launchers. Defensor paid these no mind as he activated his force field before firing his cannons again, forcing them back. Along with that, he activated his back-mounted Nucleon Missile Turret, resting it on his right shoulder. The missiles caused massive causalities among the Star Seekers, spreading them out. The combiner was soon joined by the other Autobots.

However, eventually Defensor's armor would wear down and Magnus knew that. "Gears! We're near the entrance to the Decagon! Where are you?" He yelled through the coms.

:We see the explosions, Magnus! Cosmos and I are beginning our descent. Get ready for a quick exit!: Gears said as the _Iron Will_ came into view. The spaceship landed behind the Autobots as its ramp descended, revealing Gears armed with a plasma blaster as he fired at the Star Seekers. "Hurry! Cosmos has the engines running. I'll cover you." Gears said as he shot some more plasma bolts.

The first to move towards the ship was Springer, followed by Ultra Magnus and Optimus. Some of the Star Seekers fired a barrage of rockets at the ship but were thwarted when Defensor got in the way and generated a force-field that block the projectiles. The smoke from the rockets gave the Protectobots enough cover to uncombine and run towards the ship while Gears and Optimus gave cover fire. Once everyone was aboard, the ramp ascended back into the ship.

"Cosmos, full power to the thrusters and shield! Get us out of here!" Magnus ordered.

"Understood, Magnus! Hang on tight!" Cosmos said as the _Iron Will_ took off, scattering the Star Seekers as they tried to ground the spaceship. The Autobot ship was soon in the sky and headed straight towards Earth. Due to the path they were taking, the _Iron Will_ flew right over the Hall of Records, where Quintessa and Infernocus were standing outside of as they watch the ship soared over them.

A snarl forming on her face, Quintessa looked at her bodyguard. "Shoot them down!" She ordered.

Infernocus let out a growl of acknowledgment and fired his cannons. The barrage of neutron bolts covered the sky as it tried to hit the _Iron Will_ with little success. Just as it was nearing Earth's atmospheres, one of the rockets managed to hit the bottom of the ship, causing the ramp to open. And unfortunately, Optimus was near the ramp when it did. The sudden shake from the blast caused the Prime to lose his footing and fall out of the ship.

"Optimus!" Springer yelled as he tried to grab his leader, but to miss by a few inches. Optimus felt himself being pulled down by Earth's gravitational pull.

"Slag! Cosmos, hurry and get after Prime!" Magnus ordered as he sat at the pilot seat next to Cosmos.

"I'm trying, sir! But he's already being pulled down into the planet's atmosphere. If we push the ship to fast, we'll risk having it break apart from the intense heat!" Cosmos said as he tried to catch up to the falling Autobot leader.

As Optimus began moving through Earth's exosphere, he struggled to grab his shield blaster. Once he got a hold of it, the Prime held it in front of him to protect his chassis from the heat. He was going too fast to use the shield's thrusters to stop his descent. But Optimus was able to scan for larges bodies of water to hit instead of the hard ground of Earth. Thus, he used the thrusters to control the direction of which he was falling. All the while Optimus did his best to remain online and not fall back into stasis lock.

 **(North Atlantic Ocean)**

Megatron had his arms crossed as he stood on the transformed Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier. Tidal Wave had already picked up the rest of Megatron's team, as well as Fracture's, all of whom were situated in the lower decks. He had Fracture and Barricade remained in England, to be ready to secure the center point once the staff had been retrieved. In the meantime, Megatron took this moment to stare up at Cybertron, as it could be faintly seen through the clouds. "It won't be long now, Cybertron. Soon, all we be as it should be."

"Lord Megatron" Soundwave said as he walked up to his master. "We have received confirmation from Storm Surge. Yeager and the Autobots have headed towards the staff's location. TRF is currently pursuing them, as well as Nemesis Prime. What are your orders?"

Megatron grinned, glad to hear such good news. "Tell Storm Surge to track them but remained undetected. Have Starscream, Nitro and Cyclonus join me. We'll be going to the location if it comes down to it. Then tell Shockwave to begin mobilizing our troops and have them head to Cybertron and prepare a defensive perimeter."

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave replied monotonously.

"Oh, and one more thing, Soundwave." Megatron suddenly said. "Tell, Rumble to begin the second phase of his mission. TRF's usefulness are nearing its end."

The communication officer nodded before heading to carry out his orders. Megatron returned his attention to his home planet floating above him. He frowned for a split second when his scanners picked up what appeared to be a burning projectile falling from the sky, but merely shrugged it off.

 **(Fort Collins, Colorado)**

Within the hidden base of TRF, Rumble in his alt mode was waiting patiently alongside the other Gladiator TUGV. It hadn't been easy, but he had managed to sneak into the base, having uploaded its coordinates during Megatron's meeting with TRF. The mini-con had finished his entire scanning of the TRF base already, as well as the location of the remaining imprison Decepticons. Surprisingly, there were no Autobot prisoners, though Rumble could only conclude it was thanks to the efforts of Cade Yeager and the other Autobots.

Suddenly he got a signal from Soundwave, indicating it was time to begin the second part. Obviously happy, Rumble transformed once the coast was clear. He then made his way up to the nearest ventilation shaft and began moving through the air system, heading towards the base's control room. If he could just make it there, all he had to do was kill the staff there and then hacked the systems to release the other prisoners.

After a few minutes of making right and wrong turns, Rumble reached his destination. Looking behind the ventilation door, Rumble scanned the room, taking note of the several operators and the security there. All of them were busy doing their own work, not even noticing the small Cybertronian looking at them. Once he had marked every single human, Rumble loudly kicked the door off its hinges before landing on a consol. His presence had the expected reaction, operators shouted in shock and alarm, as the soldiers scrambled to ready their rifles.

Unfortunately, Rumble wasn't giving them a chance. "Get ready to crumble, before Rumble!" He yelled as his arms morphed into piledrivers. He started pounding them on the ground, creating shockwaves that knocked the humans off their feet and destroyed several machines too. With them disoriented, Rumble morphed his arms into a pair of machine guns, firing wildly and killing several people. He targeted the guards first, before going after the operators. A few had managed to escape, but Rumble only needed a few minutes to hack the system.

"Alright, you slaggers! Get ready for some freedom!" Rumble declared as he finished hacking the cells into opening. Soon, every Decepticon was free from their bindings and cages, and were now running amok across the base, killing any human in their way. A few TRF soldiers were fighting back, but it was at best a delaying tactic for the others to evacuate. With his work done, Rumble made his way out of the control room, joining the other Decepticons and contacting Soundwave on the completed mission.

At one of the base's hangars were several staff members, protected by some TRF soldiers. They were rushing to reach the vehicles parked in the garage to escape the massacre. Unfortunately, Berserker chose that moment to crash through the nearby wall, his arm-mounted machine guns out. "Die, meatbags!" He screeched as he opened fire. Several humans were killed immediately while the TRF soldiers returned fire, though having little effect on the maniacal Decepticon.

Berserker's killing spree came to an end, when a familiar M1117 Guardian came charging through. It struck the Con in the legs, knocking the mech over, who began screeching profanities in Cybertronian. Then the 'vehicle' transformed into a bulky, dark grayish-blue mech with blue optics. The mech pulled out a rifle and fired rounds of acidic pellets that burned Berserker's armor. The Decepticon scrambled to get back up, firing at the Autobot. The gray mech used his left arm to shield his face from the bullets, continuing to fire rounds at Berserker. Said Con tried to tackle his opponent, only for the Autobot to grabbed Berserker by the arm and toss him over his shoulder onto the ground hard. The mech then pointed his rifle at the Con's head and blew it into pieces.

With his work done, the mech turned to check on the humans, only to seem them already fleeing the base inside cars, vans and even trucks. They had used their brawl to open the garage doors and escape. In a show of gratitude, they left the door open for the Autobot to drive out of, as well as the base's outer fence. That said, the mech wasted no time in transforming back into vehicle mode and evacuating the soon to be overrun base. He knew that it would be folly to try and save any other humans, as he would be completely outnumbered.

Once he was far away from the base, the Autobot activated his coms. "This is Scattershot calling Prowl. Do you read me?"

A few seconds later, a voice spoke back. :This is Prowl. What's the situation, Scattershot?:

"Not good. Someone hacked into the TRF's systems and freed all the Decepticons. They're completely rioting, killing the humans. I managed to save a few before evacuating myself." Scattershot explained. He could see some other vehicles, and a few choppers, leaving the smoking base, probably more humans that had managed to escape.

There was a surprise grunt from the other side. :It seems that the time for stealth is over: Prowl mused. :I'm sending you some coordinates. Go there and Stratosphere will be waiting to pick you up. We've managed to secure a starship and are currently on our way to England. Stratosphere will fill you on the details: The lieutenant said.

:Understood. It will be good to see everyone again: Responded Scattershot as he made his way to the location give to him.

 **(The** _ **Miranda**_ **)**

It had been an hour since the Autobots' little encounter with TRF. The Cybertronian sub was making good time as its navigation system followed the coordinates. Cade and Viviane had already calmed down and were enjoying a, as Cogman described it, "last meal" of sushi from the fish he managed to catch.

Back at the wheel, Kup kept his optics up front. "Perceptor, any sign of us being followed?"

"Negative, Kup. We might have lost them, but its also possible they could be following us and somehow jamming our sensors." Perceptor replied as he checked the sonar.

"Aye, I've experience that stuff before." Kup commented. "Trailbreaker, Bumblebee. How's the sub's platting looking?"

Bumblebee let out several clicks and chirps. "We didn't take much damage from those torpedoes, or that stunt we pulled. And so far, the sub is handling the increase water pressure well." Trailbreaker explained.

Kup nodded and continued steering the _Miranda_. That's when the sonar began to ping loudly, catching everyone's attention. "Perceptor" The veteran asked as he slowed down.

"Detecting a massive structure ahead of us. This is also the place where the coordinates lead us." Perceptor said. "I can only assume that we've arrived."

"What's going on?" Asked Cade. He, Viviane and Cogman came onto the deck the moment they heard the pinging sound. On Cade's arm, the talisman was beginning to shift and shine, as if letting out excitement.

"Turning on lights." Kup announced as the submarine's forward lenses flashed on.

What they revealed was nothing less than spectacular. In front of the _Miranda_ was a massive Cybertronian ship. It was about the same size as the _Axalon_ , however, its unique shape made it appear taller. As the submarine made its approach, the ship suddenly lit up, as if responding to the talisman's presence.

"By the Allspark…" Trailbreaker murmured as he looked at the large vessel with wide optics.

"Behold the _Steelhaven,_ the vessel of the Knights of Iacon. Resting place of Merlin and the staff." Cogman narrated. "We shall be the first beings in centuries to set foot on it."

The doors of a large airlock suddenly opened before the _Miranda_ , and yet no one was there to greet them. "I guess the ship is letting us in." Kup commented as he steered the sub forward. The _Miranda_ slowly went through the airlock, and it was only when the submarine was fully through did the door close behind them.

Outside, the TRF subs watched as the airlock closed. They had been momentarily awestruck when they watched the _Steelhaven_ come to life, and had missed their chance to get in. "We need to find another way through, before we lose them." Lennox said as he steered his submarine to find an opening. "Epps, you see anything?"

"Negative, I don't…wait" Epps said through the radio. The second submarine focused its lights on a small opening. It was narrow, but big enough for them to get through. "I think I found our entrance."

"Okay, we're going in." Lennox ordered as he moved his sub to follow Epp's. "Let's take it slow and steady. We don't know what's in there."

Back with the _Miranda_ , the submarine had managed to surface, though still half in water. "This is as far as we can go everyone. Perceptor, can you give us a scan of this ship?" Kup asked as he stopped the sub.

"One moment." Perceptor said as he typed in a few commands. A minute later a large holographic image appeared at the front of the vessel for everyone to see. "I'm reading several energy signatures at least a level below us. They're active but unmoving, I can only assume it's the Knights in stasis lock."

"Well, if we're going with tradition, wherever there are knights, that usually means they're guarding something." Viviane said, recalling one of her lessons.

"There is logic in that. I'm also picking up some other energy signatures, which matches those of drones. After that is an unusual signature that keeps fading in and out, as if it's being covered by something. I'm a hundred percent positive that it is the staff." The scientist answered.

"Okay, then looks like you lot will have to go downward. Bee and Cogman will go with you while the rest of us stay here and wait for you to get back. Good luck." Kup said.

With that said, the four got out of the sub. Bumblebee went into the water, where everything above his waist did not sink in. Cade, Viviane and Cogman were walking on the top of the sub. Viviane, now wearing a jumpsuit over her clothes, held a lantern, while Cade was carrying a single-strap bag over his shoulder, as well as Cybertornian gun he brought with him. Bumblebee already had his plasma cannon ready, with a built-in flashlight on too.

"So, where to now?" Cade asked through the earpiece communicator.

:According to the map, go straight for now. Be careful, some of the ship may have deteriorated over the centuries underwater: Advised Perceptor.

Cogman frowned when he looked over the edge of the sub. "I am not going into that seawater. My gears will be sucked into my main shaft" Cogman said before letting out a yelp when Bumblebee, who had gotten annoyed by the Headmaster's complaining, knocked the smaller mech into the water. As Cade and Viviane jumped into a shallow end of the water, Cogman floated up to them. "Now you're _both_ on my shit list." The Headmaster said, glaring at both Cade and Bumblebee.

The four finally reached the edge of the water, now walking on a metal surface. They had only made it a few steps from the water when they came upon a slightly collapsed entrance. There was still enough room for the humans and Cogman to move through, but definitely not for Bumblebee. "Uh, Perceptor." Cade spoked through the radio.

:Yes, I see it. One sec: The scientist said as he took a moment to find an alternate route. :Ah, here we go. Bee, there should be another passageway for you somewhere on your right. As for the rest of you, that one will take you to the next chamber. There should be an opening there that will lead you down to the chamber where the knights and staff are. You should regroup from there:

Bumblebee chirped in response before heading towards the right. The remaining three continued forward. They had to duck their heads a little but eventually got out on the other side. There, they found the opening that Perceptor mentioned. Fortunately, there were some debris that were stable enough for them to climb down on. Cade pulled out some flares for more light. What greeted them was a large chamber with thirteen statues. Each statue was of a different Cybertronian, with different forms. All of them were in pristine condition, however one of them was missing its head.

"Whoa, who the hell are these guys?" Cade asked out loud.

"Those _guys_ are the Thirteen Primes, our original leaders. The ones who fought alongside Primus to defeat Unicron." Cogman said as he pointed at each statue. "At the front is Prima, the first Prime and the leader of the Thirteen. From the right are Amalgamous Prime, Quintus Prime, Onyx Prime, Logos Prime, Alpha Trion and Solus Prime. From the left are Liege Maximo, Alchemist Prime, Micronus Prime, Nexus Prime, Vector Prime, and the one missing the head is Megatronous Prime, who later became the Fallen." He finished as he stared at the headless statue, which had the form of a lean, bulky mech. "This was probably his chassis before his betrayal. However, that is not important right now. We must keep moving." The Headmaster proceeded forward, going past the statues. Cade and Viviane followed behind them, their eyes still somewhat locked onto the figures.

A few minutes later, the trio came upon a hallway. What made this hallway so special was that on both sides were the stilled form of large Cybertronians. Each one was holding a medieval-like weapon, whether it was a sword, axe, mace, or spear. The three concluded that these were the Guardian Knights of Iacon. And if what Perceptor said was true, they were currently in stasis lock. With the thought in mind, they did their best not to awaken the mechs.

Eventually, the trio reached a larger chamber, overlooking a deep chasm below. There were small openings on the floor, where flame would shoot out every few seconds. The chamber was also filled with statues of knights and knight-shaped drones too. Some of the drones were out of their position, lying across the floor, and many of them damaged. In the center of the chamber, which was illuminated from a mysterious source of light from above, were two statues that faced each other. In between them was a large cross symbol, just like the one on the talisman. Surrounding the mark were smaller runes that formed a circle.

"Okay, the staff has got to be here." Cade said as he looked around the rather large chamber. He made sure not to lose his footing. "This place screams important."

"Good deduction, Sherlock. Figured that all by yourself?" Cogman snapped.

Cade glared at the Headmaster. "Do you ever _not_ act like a dick?" Cade asked.

As the two bickered, Viviane made her way over to the symbols. Bending down, she examined them as they seemed familiar. Meanwhile, not to far where the trio had been, the TRF team were slowly making their way towards them. They had been held back because they had come through one of the upper levels of the _Steelhaven_. Currently, they were in the same hallway where the Knights were. Santos stared at his energon scanner.

"Careful" He said quietly. "I'm still getting readings. Thermals are high too." Warily, Santos stared at the unmoving Knights. "These…these things might still be alive."

Lennox calmed the men down when a few raised their weapons. "No sudden moves. These aren't our targets. We're here for that weapon, remember." He ordered.

As the soldiers continued forward, they did not see the large shadow silhouette behind them. Nor the pair of glowing purple optics coming from the shadows.

In the main chamber, Viviane brushed away some of the dust to clear the marks. "Wait a minute. I recognize these. They're Celtic runes." Viviane explained as she touched some of said runes.

The moment her fingers made contact, that section of the floor started to move in response to her DNA. The noise from the vibration was loud enough that even the TRF team heard it as they had raised their weapons on reflex. The circle began to spin in different in directions at once, before the large symbol in the center opened. As it did, a human-size tomb came rising out from underneath, right before Cade and Viviane. Written on the tomb were the words 'The Great Wizard Merlin'.

A moment of silence filled the chamber as both humans stared at the tomb. Before them could possibly be the goal of this little adventure of theirs. It was a bit hard for them to imagine that it might be over. However, it was Cade who eventually came back to reality as he looked at the tomb and then Viviane. "Well? Aren't you going to open it?" He asked.

That snapped Viviane out of her daze. She gave Cade a look. "Course I'm going to open it." She replied.

The two then worked together to push the tomb's lid back. After a few seconds the lid slid off completely, revealing the tomb's contents. Inside were the remains of the great Merlin, only his bones and armor remaining. His arms were crossed over his chest and they were, as if hugging it, was a long object that had to be the staff. However, it was not as extravagant as Cade and Viviane imagined, it was nothing more than wood.

Its appearance did not go well with Cade. "This? This is it?" He exclaimed angrily as he picked up the wooden staff, making the corpse's arms falling to its sides. "This was what we were looking for? Nearly getting blasted by TRF and the Cons and all we got was some piece of wood?!" Growling, Cade chucked the staff to the side with a loud thump. Viviane also seemed a bit disheartened, as she had been expecting more from all this.

During the whole thing, Cogman was inspecting a drone that had collapsed from its post and lost much of its armor, showing its protoform shell. He was also missing parts of his face, giving off a skull-like look, with an optic missing. "You know, I honestly thought the Knights would do a better job of keeping this place together. Guess not." The headmaster commented as he climbed on top of the drone, lightly knocking against its face.

Unfortunately, that act caused the drone's optic to turn on and with a roar it got back up, knocking Cogman off. Picking up its swords, it roared. "Intruders! They have come for the staff!"

Cade and Viviane, who had by now noticed the active drone, ran as it chased after them it. The drone swung its swords wildly as it tried to kill the 'intruders'. Cogman managed to recover and fired a rocket at the drone, catching its attention.

"Shoot it!" Cade yelled as Viviane picked up his discarded blaster pistol. Fearfully, the professor fired a shot, hitting the drone in the chest. Unbothered by it, the drone went after her, even as Viviane shot at it more.

Cade rushed up to her and grabbed her arm. "Move!" He shouted as he pulled Viviane with him. Just in time as the drone swung his sword at the spot she was just at, destroying the tomb instead. The shockwave also sent Cade and Viviane flying in two different directions, with Cade nearly falling over the edge, while Viviane landed beside the staff.

It was at that moment Lennox's team arrived. Spotting the rampaging drone, the Colonel gave the order. "Everyone, fire at it. Aim for the optic!" He said as his team opened fire. Some of the men also fired their attached grenade launchers too.

The drone growled at the new attacks. Still yelling to protect the staff, it focused on the TRF soldiers, but had to protect its sole remaining optic. This gave Epps the opening to charge at it. Once he was close, the sergeant placed a detonator onto the drone's right leg, badly damaging it and ruining the drone's footing.

"It's weakened, push it over the edge!" Lennox ordered as Graham and Santos fired grenades. The combined impact was the finishing blow, as the drone was sent over the platform. It roared as it plummeted downwards into the bowels.

Viviane had started to get up when she saw the staff and instinctively grabbed it. When she did, the staff shed its holographic design, revealing its true, Cybertronian metallic form. The tip of the staff began to glow a bright blue. Viviane felt overwhelmed as memories began pouring into her mind, showing her images of Merlin when he was given the staff. At the same time, several individuals also felt the staff activating. On Cybertron, Quintessa sharply turned her head towards Earth, a sinister smile forming on her lips. Across Earth, Unicron's horns began to shake a little as the planet eater felt the power. Back in the Bermuda Triangle, Thunderwing readied himself, knowing that the hour of his master's revival was coming. And finally, aboard the _Axalon_ , which was halfway across the Atlantic Ocean, a still comatose Adam Nova, now garbed in Arthur's Cybertronian's armor, twitched a little. Unbeknownst to Ratchet, who was watching over the boy, the armor began to merge with Adam's body even quicker before the young man burst out of the medical room and flew out of the ship, startling the chief medic and everyone else aboard too.

Back with the _Steelhaven_ , the ship itself was reacting too. After centuries of inactivity, the large Cybertronian vessel began to rise up out of the water. Everyone inside it felt the movement, almost losing their foot. Cade had managed to get back onto the platform when the radio came to life. :Cade! Lad, what's going on there?! Energy readings are off the charts and the whole bloody ship is moving now, too!: Kup exclaimed as he and the other two Autobots tried to steady the _Miranda_.

"Uh, I'm going to have to call you back, Kup. We got problems of our own here." Cade said as two TRF soldiers had their rifles aimed at him. More also surrounded Cogman, who appeared to be contemplating between fighting or surrendering. The rest quickly surrounded Viviane, who was now standing, staff still in hand.

"Ma'am drop the weapon." Lennox ordered Viviane, rifle raised. When she hesitated Lennox shouted, "Now!"

A determined look appeared on the woman's face as she quickly ran over to the edge of the platform. There she raised her arm until the staff was hovering over the chasm. "You drop it, or I will!" She said, indicating to the man's gun.

The entire chamber was now stuck in an intense stand-off. All the soldiers were trained on Viviane but were hesitant to fire. All the while the ship was getting closer to the surface. At the corner of the chamber, Bumblebee had finally arrived. The yellow mech kept his position hidden, plasma cannon at the ready, waiting for the right time to make himself known.

Trying to appeal to the Colonel, Cade said, "You don't know what you're doing Lennox. We need this staff or the whole Earth is screwed."

"All we want is that weapon!" Lennox said back, eyes still on Viviane.

"In that case, go ahead a shoot me!" Viviane dared, earning surprise looks from everyone. "However, I'm the only one here who can wield it. But, if you still want it, then go on! Shoot me!"

The intensity in the room increased even more. For a moment, Santos appeared to be ready to fire when a groaning sound caught everyone's attention.

From the hallway, two more drones appeared. Weapons out as they swatted nearby TRF soldiers. "Protect the staff!" One of them yelled with more coming up from behind.

Then, the 'statues' that had been near the tomb came to life and pulled out and raised their swords. With roars they attacked the humans who returned fire. The entire chamber had become a brawl. Bumblebee chose that moment to come out, firing at the drones closes to Viviane and Cade. One was shot in the head and destroyed immediately, while the other staggered before engaging the humans again before they gunned it down. Cogman also picked that moment to kick away the TRF soldiers that had been surrounding him while Cade ran to get Viviane.

Before the fight could escalate any further, the sound of weapon's fire came from the hallway as drones were gunned down from an unknown assailant. From the shadows was Nemesis Prime, armed with a pair of laser pistols. He fired more beams that cut down the remaining drones. Then retracting the pistols back into his arms, Nemesis pulled out a two-handed broad axe from his back. Swiftly he cut down one of the last two drones, before beheading the final one. All that left were the humans and two Autobots.

Everyone seemed to stare in silent shock at the large black and cyan mech who looked much like a certain Autobot leader. Bumblebee had even put back his plasma cannon when he had thought it was his commander. However, his spark froze when purple optics momentarily set their gaze on him.

"Optimus?" Cade asked. But it soon became apparent that something was very, very wrong. And that this was not the mech Cade knew.

When purple optics locked onto Viviane, to be more precise the staff in her hand, Nemesis Prime retracted his battle mask. This allowed everyone to see his demonic face, his mouthplate filled with sharp teeth. "I've come for that staff." He declared.

 **The staff has been found, Optimus Prime has escaped Cybertron and Nemesis Prime has made his presence known! I hoped you'd enjoyed this chapter and leave a review!**


	13. The Prime of Life

**Please read and enjoy! Also, don't forget to read the prequels, "Dark of the Moon: Altered 2" and "Age of Extinction: Altered"!**

 **(The** _ **Axalon**_ **)**

The ship was full of life again. After three long years, Cybertronians walked across it's floors. Unlike how it was under Lockdown's command the past thousand years, there were no prisoners, no gruesome trophies or anything of the like. Autobots were moving about, conversing with each other or checking the ship's systems and weapons. In the lower level hangar, Omega Supreme was landing after his return from dropping off the sparklings in Cuba. Inside the command center, the officers consisting of Prowl, Camshaft, Jazz, Ironhide, Hubcap, Silverbolt and Armorhide were currently holding a meeting. Around them other bots were at work.

"In the past few hours, we've picked up multiple energon signatures heading towards Cybertron." Camshaft explained. "We have reason to believe these are Decepticons that had originally been in hiding."

"Which means they must've known about Cybertron's approach long before we did." Jazz concluded.

Prowl nodded. "Judging from the number of signatures, I'd have to say the Decepticon's forces outnumber us. A head on assault of any kind would not work for us."

"We've dealt with those Cons having the larger forces. Hasn't stopped us yet." Ironhide retorted. "Besides, they might outnumber us, but they don't _overpower_ us. We have Omega Supreme and the _Axalon_ with us."

Sighing, the lieutenant made no comment. Ironhide was always gung-ho, though he did have some points. Looking at the Aerialbot leader, Prowl asked, "What's our current distance?"

"We're about 10 clicks away from England. According Wingblade, there are a group of Autobots there waiting for us." Silverbolt explained. "They should be contacting us any second now."

On cue, a voice came out through the coms. A technician brought up a holo-screen, revealing Hot Rod's face. "Bonjour! Is anyone there?" Hot Rod asked.

Ironhide's optics shuttered. "Hot Rod? Is that you?" The weapon specialist asked.

"Oui! It is I! And I am with the whole groupe too!" The French-speaking mech replied.

Prowl walked up to the screen. "Where are you and you're team right now? We'll come and pick you up."

Hot Rod shook his head. "Non, non! Don't do that! Bumblebee and Kup have gone with the humans to retrieve the staff. We lost communications with them a while ago. They might need your help." He said.

Prowl frowned but complied. "Roger that. Send us their last coordinates and we'll find them. What are the rest of you going to do?"

"We are preparing an ambush at Stonehenge! It's where the Decepticons would have to put the staff for it to transfer the energy to Cybertron. Cannot tell you rest of it, Bee and Kup will fill in the gaps. Got to go! Souhaitez-nous bonne chance!" And the connection ended.

The Autobots blinked their optics as they took in the information. They barely had time to process it when the ship suddenly shook. Then something could be seen shooting out of the ship's hull and flying in the direction towards England. The reaction was everyone on board scrambling in preparations for a possible attack.

"What the scrap was that?!" Ironhide bellowed, Shell Cannons at the ready.

The rest all ran out of the command room, seeing other Autobots also moving about wildly, trying to figure out what happened. Hound was yelling out swears, both human and Cybertronians, while waving his quad barrel shotguns. "Where are those bitches! I'll slag them good!" He shouted.

"Stand down, Hound!" Prowl ordered. They then saw Ratchet and Jolt stumbling towards them. Both medics were covered in dust and appeared a bit disoriented. "What happened to you two?"

"The same thing that caused the ship to shake." Ratchet answered. "I was performing some tests on Adam when the youngling suddenly woke up. He burst out of the infirmary and flew right out of the ship. It happened at the same time when we picked up a large energy spike."

"Wait? The little squirt shook the whole ship?" Hound asked.

"Whatever the reason, we need to track him. He's heading near where Hot Rod said they lost contact with Bumblebee's group. If we follow Adam, we'll find the others." Jazz said.

 **(The** _ **Steelhaven**_ **)**

The entire chamber had gone silent. All eyes and optics were on the Optimus look alike. His deep purple optics were focused solely on the staff in Viviane's hands. With a snarl he stomped forward. "The staff. Give it to me."

Several soldiers tentatively moved out of the way as Nemesis made his way over. Viviane was frozen stiff. Both of her hands gripped the staff, but all she could do was just stare at the large Cybertronian towering before her. Beside her, Cade was also staring at who he believed was Optimus. "Prime what are you doing?" Cade asked but got no response from Nemesis. Cade tried some more. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Cade Yeager. We fought together. Optimus!"

At the name, Nemesis glared at the human, causing Yeager to subconsciously step back. "I am not Optimus. That fool failed my mistress, failed his purpose. I am his successor, Nemesis Prime. And my mission is to retrieve that staff." He declared, looking back at Viviane. Getting to one knee, Nemesis lowered his head closer towards Viviane. "Now hand it over."

Viviane was still frozen as she looked face to face with glowing purple optics. "Cade" She stuttered.

"Give me the staff, human. Or I _will_ kill you." Nemesis threatened.

"Cade" Repeated Viviane.

Cade looked between Nemesis and Viviane. He could tell that the Cybertronian would not hesitate to slaughter everyone of them just to get that staff. With a resigned sigh, Cade said to Viviane. "Give it to him."

All around them, the other soldiers didn't move, unsure of what to make of this situation. Lennox was staring from Cade, to Nemesis, to Viviane and back again. Bumblebee and Cogman also glanced at each other, before the yellow mech looked at his supposed leader.

"Do it!" Cade repeated, this time with more force.

Viviane didn't reply. Instead, she just slowly raised the staff to Nemesis in defeat. Without a word, the mech snatched the staff before putting it in a hidden compartment on his chest.

At that moment, Santos decided to act and opened fire. The explosive rounds struck Nemesis in the back but didn't seem to faze him. Instead Nemesis spun around, pulled out his laser pistols, and fired back. The bolts sent many TRF soldiers flying as the mech got up. "All who challenge me will die." Nemesis snarled as he calmly walked out, ignoring the groans of pain.

Viviane was still in a state of shock of what just happened. Bumblebee let out disheartened sounds before Cade got his attention. "We gotta stop him, Bee." Yeager said. "You heard him, that is not Optimus. Prime would never do something like this. Whatever it takes we can't let him get away with the staff." Bumblebee nodded as pulled out a war hammer from his subspace compartment. As the yellow mech headed off to stop Nemesis, Cade looked at Cogman. "I need you to get Viviane back to the sub. Got it? This is no time to be acting all snide."

Cogman was about to let out another witty remark, but seeing the serious look in Cade's face, the headmaster relented. "As you wish."

"Wait, what about you?" Viviane asked, finally snapping out of her shock.

"I got to go and back Bee up. He's been there for me these past few years, so I got to be there for him." Cade said with determination as he took out a Cybertronian pistol. "Just trust me, okay." He said before getting ready to follow Bee.

Meanwhile Lennox was giving orders. "Santos, help with the wounded. Epps, Graham, contact the subs and fleet to let them know the situation. Now!" He commanded as the uninjured soldiers were moving about. He then looked at Cade. "I'm going with you. You're going to need all the help you can get with that thing." Said Lennox.

Cade stared at the Colonel for a moment, contemplating whether or not to let him come. Eventually he relented and the two headed after Bumblebee. As the others started to evacuate, none of them paid any notice to the twelve Knights. Slowly, their optics started to light up, servos and gears began to move, and their systems came online.

A few minutes later, Cogman and Viviane finally reached the _Miranda_. There, they saw Kup standing outside the sub, shotgun at the ready. The old mech must've felt the ship vibrating and immediately gotten out to investigate. Kup's stance lightened when he saw the two. "Cogman! Ms. Viviane! What the slag is going on?" The veteran asked.

"We found the staff!" Viviane exclaimed as she wadded through water towards the sub, helped up by Kup. "But someone looking like Optimus came and took the staff. Bee and Cade are heading after him towards the top."

Kup frowned, chewing on his cy-gar at this. He eventually shifted his shotgun so that both hands were holding it. "In that case, you two get inside. Tell Perceptor and Trailbreaker to start the sub and get out of here. I'll go and help the lads. Now get moving!" He ordered before jumping into the water and making his way up top.

 **(Outside the _Steelhaven_ )**

During the whole time, the _Steelhaven_ had reached the surface. The top of the massive ship emerged from the ocean, large amounts of water shooting into the air as numbers of waves spread out. In a certain part of the ship, Nemesis and Bumblebee were shot out as if flying from a cannon. Nemesis managed to land but left him open to Bumblebee. The yellow mech swung his hammer, hitting the Optimus imposter right in the face. Nemesis was sent backwards, spitting out energon. Bumblebee followed up, grabbing Nemesis's head and slammed him against the ship. Letting out a growl, Nemesis slid his battle mask on and delivered an uppercut that sent Bumblebee flying before recovering his axe and engaging the yellow mech.

Nemesis brought the weapon down, but Bumblebee stopped the swing with his hammer. Kicking him back, Bumblebee got up and swung his hammer at his opponent. Nemesis grabbed the hammer with his free hand before kicking Bumblebee in the leg, knocking the yellow mech off his feet. He then delivered another kick into Bee's chest before their weapons clashed.

Not to far away from the fight, Lennox and Cade had finally gotten outside. Large waves were moving across the ship's hull as it continued to rise above the water. The two humans had to be careful as to not be swept by the waves.

"Look! There they are!" Cade shouted when he spotted Bumblebee fighting Nemesis. "C'mon, we gotta get closer!"

Nemesis and Bumblebee were still locked in combat, neither giving the other an inch. It was only when the false Prime managed to disarm Bee did the battle begin to turn against the yellow mech. "You think you can defeat me?! I am Nemesis Prime! You are nothing!" He roared as he grabbed Bumblebee by the back of his door wings. With a strong tug, Nemesis pulled them off Bee's back before grabbing the yellow bot by the arm and tossing him aside.

Bumblebee chirped and clicked in annoyance before regaining his balance. Shifting his bask mask over his face, Bumblebee charged forward, bringing out his plasma cannon. Nemesis brought out his laser pistols and the two mechs fired at one another. Neither were able to land a fatal blow, just a few scratches, and Bumblebee was able to reach Nemesis. Performing a powerful leap, Bumblebee lunged at the black and blue mech, delivering a strong punch to the face. However, Nemesis took that opening to bring both fists down on top of Bumblebee. The yellow mech hit the ship's roof with a loud bang.

With his opponent temporarily stunned, Nemesis picked up his axe and raised it over his head. "Die!" He hissed as he prepared to bring it down on Bumblebee. He was stopped, though, by the timely arrival of Cade and Lennox. Yeager fired his cybertronian pistol while Lennox fired explosive rounds. Nemesis growled as he felt the projectiles hit his shoulder and raised his dual pistols to fire back. This time he was stopped by Kup, who had just arrived. The veteran fired his plasma pulse shotgun at Nemesis's back, forcing the mech to stagger away from Bumblebee.

"Bee! Get up lad! This fight an't over yet!" Kup yelled as he kicked Bee's hammer to him. The yellow mech let out a chirp of gratitude and grabbed his weapon. He struck Nemesis's in the chest, causing the imposter Prime to lose his pistols.

Another wave came in, knocking Cade and Lennox off their feet. Bumblebee had turned to check on them, but that second of distraction was all Nemesis needed to bash the yellow mech to the side. He then turned his attention towards Kup, dodging the veteran's attacks while charging. Nemesis brought his axe down on Kup, forcing the grey mech to raise his shotgun in defense.

"Ancient relic! You do not belong in my mistress's vision of a new Cybertron." Nemesis growled.

Kup grunted. "Better to be a relic, then a damn phony like you, punk!" Kup retorted.

That comment did not sit well with Nemesis. He let out a roar and shoved Kup back. Then he struck the old mech in the left knee with his axe, causing Kup to yell in pain as he felt the blade sever several wires and gears. Nemesis grabbed Kup by the throat and prepared to kill him before he was tackled by Bumblebee. Kup fell on his aft, tending to his wounded leg. Cade had managed to get back up and rushed over to help Bee, Lennox slowly getting to his feet too.

Bumblebee's tackle sent him and Nemesis sliding/rolling down towards the center of the ship's roof. The false Prime was the first to recover, grabbing Bee by the neck before delivering a brutal punch to the yellow mech's stomach, followed by slamming him against the floor. Nemesis than picked up his axe as he stood over Bumblebee. Raising his weapon, Nemesis snarled. "I told you: all those who challenge me will die!" He declared as he brought the blade down on Bumblebee…

…Only for a sword to stop its descent, the axe's blade inches from Bee's face. The two mechs' optics widened as they looked at the source. Above them, Cade, Lennox and a limping Kup arrived and were also surprised at the newcomer.

Standing there, his sword against his counterpart's weapon, was none other than Optimus Prime. His battle mask on, Optimus said, "Not today."

Rewinding half an hour ago, Optimus was still falling through Earth's atmosphere. He had used his shield's thrusters to slow his descent and angle so that Optimus would hit the water. And Prime's gamble had paid of as Optimus struck the seawater of the Atlantic Ocean. His systems recovered quickly as Optimus poked his head out of the surface.

"Ultra Magnus" Optimus said through his coms. "Its Optimus. I'm okay. I managed to land in the water without serious damage. Sending you my coordinates for pick up."

Just as Optimus finished his message, he felt something solid hit the bottom of his feet. Soon said object began to rise until it breached the surface. The young Prime instantly realized that it was the hull of a large ship and was rising quickly. Immediately, Optimus took out his sword and impaled it through the hull, ensuring that he would not fall off. Once he felt a steady grip, Optimus began climbing up the ship to get to the top.

By the time he reached the top, the ship was fully out of the water and moving. Looking at it, Optimus came to the realization that this was the _Steelhaven_ an ancient though advanced Cybertronian vessel Alpha Trion had told him about. But his audio sensors soon picked up the sound of fighting close by. As he moved against the waves across the slippery metal, Optimus' optics picked up Bumblebee fighting against Quintessa's clone. Without even thing, he dashed towards them, pulling his sword out. Optimus reached them just as Nemesis was about to finish off the yellow mech. That is when we reached the present.

With a roar, Optimus shoved Nemesis back, then engaging his clone in battle. Nemesis tried to fight back, but he was being pressured by Optimus. Said Prime was filled with rage at the thought that one of his own comrades was nearly killed by a duplicate of his. Add to that this duplicate would have a hand in Earth's destruction and affiliated with the same person that hired Lockdown to hunt his friends three years ago, only fueled Optimus' fury.

Nemesis soon lost his axe, the weapon knocked out of his hands. He tried to raise one of his pistols, but it was destroyed by Optimus's blade. "No!" Nemesis yelled as he made a desperate lounge towards Optimus. "I cannot lose! I am Nemesis Prime!"

Optimus easily moved to the side and dodged his clone's attack. "No! You are nothing!" The Prime declared as he brought his sword down behind Nemesis. In one swift move, the blade cut Nemesis Prime's body in half. Both ends hit the ground at the same time. The purple optics of the clone faded seconds after as energon spilled onto the ship.

With his foe now dead, Optimus vented deeply as he put his sword on to his back. He then walked over towards Bumblebee, offering the yellow mech a hand. "Can you stand Bumblebee?" Optimus asked.

Bumblebee was frozen still for a brief moment, unable to believe that his leader had returned. However, he recovered and nodded. Taking Optimus's hand, Prime pulled the yellow mech up.

"Prime!" A voice yelled, getting the two Autobots' attention. Sliding down the side was Cade, followed by Lennox and Kup, the latter using his shotgun as a makeshift clutch.

"Cade. Colonel Lennox. Kup!" Optimus said as each individual approached the two. "It is good to see you again, all of you."

Cade looked at Optimus. He didn't need to ask if this was the real one. This was indeed _the_ Optimus Prime.

"It's good to see you too, sir." Kup replied. "But right now, we need to get the staff from that corpse's body. Before any more trouble comes."

Unfortunately, 'trouble' did come. Explosions appeared all around them, sending the three Autobots and two humans flying. That's when Megatron landed, followed by Starscream, Nitro Zeus and Cyclonus. The Air Commander grabbed Kup by the throat and slammed him hard across the ship's hull. Cyclonus meanwhile put his foot on Bumblebee, pinning the yellow bot down and pointed his laser rifle at his face. Deciding to go after Optimus, Nitro held the Prime with his blade right next to the Autobot Commander's spark. Meanwhile, Megatron walked over to Nemesis's corpse. Giving little regards to the body, the Decepticon leader roughly pulled the staff from the clone's compartment. The staff extended so it would better fit in the Cybertronian's hand.

"You ruined your chance to kill Unicron, Optimus Pussy!" Nitro taunted as he stepped to the side.

Megatron then grabbed Optimus by the top of his helm. Their optics glaring at one another. "I knew that you couldn't do it! That's why Quintessa created that clone in the first place." Megatron said. "You turned your back on Cybertron. Now as punishment you will watch Earth die!" With that Megatron shoved Optimus back and took off, followed by the other Decepticons.

Just as they left, the Guardian Knights appeared. **"There he is!"** One of them yelled. They were all armed and charged straight towards Optimus. The Prime barely had a moment to get up when the closes knight, Steelbane, smacked Optimus in the back with his spear. Another Knight, Dragonicus, slammed his fist into Optimus's face, knocking the Prime back down.

The rest of the knights began to surround the young Prime, pushing back Bumblebee and Kup, while Cade and Lennox tried to avoid being stepped on. Not to far away, Perceptor and Trailbreaker had managed to get onto the _Steelhaven_ before it took off. Perceptor was carrying Viviane and Cogman in his hands. All four of them were watching as the knights ganged up on Optimus.

"You allowed Quintessa, the Great Deceiver to corrupt the sacred essence of the Primes!" A knight yelled as he kicked Optimus in the chest.

"The Killer of Quintus and Alchemist Prime has the staff, and you didn't do anything to stop her!" Shouted Dragonicus as he slammed his sword against Optimus's back, followed by another Knight with an axe.

The red-armored Knight and the leader, Stormreign, approached Optimus. "You betrayed your own kind. You broken the Knight's oath." He declared as he smacked the Prime with his mace. He nodded to his second, Dragonicus. Said mech walked up with his sword at the ready. "The judgment is death."

Cade couldn't take it anymore. Watching Optimus taking a beating for something he had no control over was too much and now they were going to kill him. In a hopeless attempt to stop the execution, Cade got in between Optimus and Dragonicus, unaware that the talisman attached to his arm was moving towards his hand while slowly transforming. In that one second several things happened. A fast-moving object hard landed between Optimus and Dragonicus just as Cade was nearing them. The impact created a small shockwave that pushed Cade backed a bit. At the same time, the talisman flew off and transformed into a European longsword and into the newcomer's hand. Said person raised the blade and blocked Dragonicus's larger sword with ease.

Everyone looked at the arrival. It was a Cybrtronian but had a white and ultramarine bio-metallic chassis that was clearly different from others, almost like armor. He was the same size as a human teenager and his blue optics scanned the knights. In his hands was the sword, now in its true form as Excalibur. Despite his appearance Cade, as if feeling a bond with this new Cybertronian, instantly recognized him. "Adam?"

The Knights all gathered around Adam, forming a circle. One by one they raised their weapons. **"Seglass Ni Tonday"** Stormreign uttered.

" **Seglass Ni Tonday"** Dragonicus repeated.

" **Seglass Ni Tonday"** Steelbane said.

Each of them said those words until it came back to Stormreign. "The Prime of Life, Nova Prime has come to us." He said.

Adam took a moment to look at himself. Inspecting his metallic hands and feeling his metal-like face. "This…this feels so weird and yet so normal. Like I've just woken up from a dream or something." He commented, his new mouth moving naturally.

"Cade, Adam." Optimus said mournfully as he slowly got up. "I have failed you. I've allowed the Decepticons to take the staff and with it doomed Earth. The only other place besides Cybertron that I have called home. I am unworthy of being a leader."

"That's…that's not true, Optimus Prime." A voice said. This time it came from none other than Bumblebee, shocking the humans. It wasn't a quote from a movie or the radio, it was Bee's _real_ voice. "Optimus, I would gladly give my life for you. Because I believe in you."

Kup, Trailbreaker and Preceptor all gave nods in agreement. Cade spoke up this time. "He's right, Optimus. We can't do it without you. You're the only one who can lead us through this."

"One chance. That's all we got. And we can't achieve that without you at the front, Optimus." The christened Nova Prime added.

Hearing their words, renewed determination filled Optimus's spark. With a stance that spoke of confidence, the Prime stood and looked at the Knights. "My brothers, I swear I shall never fail our people again." He declared. As he spoke the _Iron Will_ had finally arrived, hovering above the gathered Cybertronians and humans. "To save our two races and our planets, we must go to Cybertron. And there destroy Quintessa!"

 **There is chapter 13. The final battle is approaching us now folks! I'll also be unveiling the history between Quintessa, the Knights and the Primes next chapter too. Be sure to review!**

 **P.S. I'm and still leaning towards doing a sequel crossover with the Avengers.**


	14. Endgame Part 1

**Here it is! Part 1 of the final battle that you've all been waiting for! Hoped you grabbed some popcorn and soda! Don't forget to review!**

 **(The** _ **Iron Will**_ **)**

The flight back had been tensed. After picking up the seven Autobots (Nova Prime was counted as one of them) twelve Knights and three humans, Optimus ordered Magnus to retrieve the TRF soldiers who had been in their submersibles after escaping the rising _Steelhaven_. Some of the Autobots were uncomfortable with the idea of being aboard the same ship with those that had been hunting them for so long, but given the current situation, it was best not to argue.

Currently, Bumblebee was being tended to by First Aid along with Kup. The junior medic was given assistance by Perceptor as the scientist had some knowledge of medical skills. At the pilot seat, Magnus was contacting the _Axalon_ and Hot Rod's group of their current situation. The rest of the Autobots were with Cade, Viviane and Nova, standing them somewhat protectively away from the soldiers. The Guardian Knights were especially making sure the humans did no harm to Nova. The soldiers were also a bit uncomfortable, some of them fiddling with their rifles. The only ones that appeared somewhat relaxed were Lennox, Epps and Graham.

During the flight, Nova had begun to reveal the actual history behind Quintessa. He had learned of this knowledge when the armor, crafted by Alpha Trion and given to the Knights for safekeeping, was merging with him. Quintessa was a part of the earliest generation of Cybertronians born from the Allspark, the cube itself being a fragment of Primus's own spark. The femme herself was among the select few known as the Disciples of Primus, Cybertronians that served a specific Prime. The Guardian Knights were also members of the Disciples, serving under Prima, the first Prime, as his bodyguards and most trusted warriors. Quintessa was the aide and greatest student of Quintus Prime, the scientific mind of the Thirteen. She was noted to be highly skilled in knowledge of Cybertronian biology, to the point she was on equal footing with her master. However, that made her arrogant, Quintessa believing herself to be on the same level as the Primes.

The tragedy began when the Primes had discovered Earth, with its core being Unicron. At first, they had planned to simply destroy the planet to put an end to the Chaos Bringer for good. But upon discovering the planet's inhabitants, humans, the Thirteen put a halt to their original plan as they valued all life and began searching for an alternative. The only one who did not agree was Megatronous, who believed that the Prime's care for life endangered their people and world. He was also sickened of how some of the Primes began to create new Primes from their own sparks. Four had already been born, the eldest being Omega Prime, followed by Zeta, Sentinel and Optimus.

It was around this time when Alpha Trion, being the one in charge of overlooking the Allspark, received a vision from Primus. That one day, when the threat of Unicron returned and the fate of all Cybertronians came, a new Prime would be born. Primus gave no name except that this one would be 'The Prime of Life'.

Hearing this, Megatronous approached Quintessa and was able to manipulate her into thinking she was this Prime. He then coerced her into helping Megatronous overthrow his brothers and sister and gain control of the Allspark for himself, so that he could become the sole ruler of Cybertron. While it was unsure if Quintessa would be fine of serving under him, her pride and arrogance made her join the Fallen Prime.

The first act was to get the Matrix of Leadership, a relic bestowed onto Prima by Primus during the battle with Unicron, to power up the Sun Harvester, which was currently in the hands of Solus Prime. Megatronous promptly murdered his sister, followed by Liege Maximo after the latter learned of his plans. The traitor Prime also temporarily gave Quintessa the powers of Prime, allowing the sorceress to kill Quintus, framing her master's death on Megatronous to cover her own role in the coupe. This was so Quintessa could gain Quintus's knowledge of manipulating life.

Afterwards, seven of the remaining Primes, Prima, Micronus, Nexus, Onyx, Vector, Amalgamous and Logos followed the newly dubbed 'The Fallen' to Earth, where their forces faced off against the rebels. The battle was intense, but the Fallen's power had grown, allowing him to slay all but Prima and Logos, the latter close to death. However, the leader of the Primes gathered the energies of his deceased brothers to mortally wound the Fallen, followed by Logos using the last of his strength to seal the traitor into a pocket dimension for all eternity. What followed next was already known, Prima sacrificed his own life to create a tomb made from his and his brother's bodies to hide away the Matrix of Leadership from those who would misuse its power.

The remaining two Primes, Alchemist and Alpha Trion, along with the young Omega and Zeta, tried to lead Cybertron, while searching for a new way to keep the Allspark going. One of their ideas was to teleport a sun to Cybertron, in order to energize the Cube indefinitely, while another was to somehow get the planet to move. The remaining Disciples, the Guardian Knights, also helped the two Primes as well. However, none of them suspected Quintessa forming her own plans, since with the Fallen's defeat and the lost of the Matrix caused her to change her strategy to gain rulership of Cybertron. She took Scourge, the remaining servant of the Fallen under her wing, along with her own creations the Infernocons. Later, Quintessa was able to deceive the Knights that she was in fact the Prime of Life, though she may have been deceiving herself as well.

Quintessa eventually came to the conclusion that she could usurp control of the planet and keep Cybertron's flow of energon going permanently in one stroke. That conclusion was none other than the staff, which would drain Earth's own energy to empower Cybertron's core. To do so, she would need to get to the planet's core itself, which could only be accessed by a Prime. So, Quintessa tricked the Knights into kidnapping a sparkling Optimus so she could control him and get to the core. Naturally, when the Primes discovered this ploy they tried to stop it. The resulting clash ended with Alchemist Prime using his powers to send both Quintessa and her Infernocons to the other side of the universe, far away from Cybertron. Sadly, the battle had left Alchemist Prime very weak and his spark eventually extinguished.

The Guardian Knights, realizing that they had been deceived, awaited judgment from Alpha Trion, the sole survivor of the Dynasty. Instead, the scholar had the Knights swear an oath to guard the staff for all eternity, if Quintessa were ever to return. The Knights took their ship, the _Steelhaven_ , and traveled to Earth. There they could protect both the staff and watch over Unicron and the humans.

"And that's basically what happened." Nova said, finishing his story.

The two humans and Autobots were silent, taking all that in. The Knights backed up what Nova said, confirming that the story was correct.

"Basically, this Quintessa is suffering from a serious case of self-delusion?" Viviane asked incredulously.

"Pretty much" Nova replied. "However, that doesn't mean we can underestimate her. Though she no longer has the powers of a Prime, her mastery over life has improved that she is on the same level as Quintus Prime."

"Nova Prime speaks the truth." Optimus said. "I've seen her powers first hand. She will not be an easy adversary to defeat, though we must try anyway."

"The only thing I want to know is whatever happened to the other two? Omega and Zeta" Asked Cade.

Everyone looked at Nova, expecting an answer. The newly born Prime, however, merely shrugged his shoulders. "It was never said. By the time Quintessa was banished, Cybertronian society had fallen into various tribes contesting for what resources remained. All I know is that Alpha Trion raised Optimus, while Omega Prime raised Sentinel. Zeta apparently wandered the planet and disappeared."

"It was probably Omega Prime who taught Sentinel about his lineage. Whenever I asked my former mentor, he would never tell me. After hearing your story, I can only conclude that something happened to Omega that would make Sentinel remain silent. Possible the same outcome happened to Zeta too." Optimus commented.

Suddenly, Magnus's voice could be heard from the speakers. "Everyone, we're approaching Stonehenge. The _Steelhaven_ is also directly above the structure. I'm also picking up chatter from various human radios and news channels about large debris from Cybertron impacting all across the world. This is going to get a bit rough."

 **(Stonehenge)**

Megatron and the other three had finally arrived at their destination. Around Stonehenge were large pieces of Cybertron that had hit the Earth, with chunks of the planet floating above them, nearly blocking out the sky. Waiting for them were Barricade, Shockwave, Blackout, Fracture, Astrotrain and Storm Surge, the latter transforming into a blue and white Zubr-class LCAC hovercraft. The four of them quickly transformed and landed next to the structure. There were no signs of any humans, military or otherwise, around them.

Nitro Zeus immediately ran up to Shockwave. "Ha, ha! Big bro!" Nitro yelled as he embraced the large purple mech in a hug.

Shockwave just merely gave a nod to his more enthusiastic younger brother. "Greetings, Nitro. It is good to see you as well." The scientist/assassin remarked.

"You betcha it is!" Nitro said back as he let go of his brother. "The Assassin Duo is back together!"

Meanwhile, Blackout and Fracture approached Megatron. Both Cons bowed their heads in respect to their master. "My Lord, all remaining Decepticon forces are currently stationed around the ignition chamber. Once the device here is activated, we can head there ourselves." Blackout reported.

"Tidal Wave also did a brief strike against the nearby human fleet before heading up towards Cybertron." Storm Surge reported. "If the humans tried to retaliate, they'll have little to send after us before the process is complete."

"We've also picked up multiple Autobot signatures heading here. However, they will not make it in time given their current speed." Fracture added. She looked at Megatron with adoration. "It is your time, Lord Megatron."

The Decepticon leader nodded before looking up. Above them, the _Steelhaven_ had finally arrived, hovering directly on top of Stonehenge. "At last the ship has arrived. Now we can begin the first stage to Cybertron's restoration."

"And the death of Earth." Barricade cackled. "I've always wanted to kill a planet."

"We won't be just killing a planet, but a god too." Added Astrotrain with laugh.

Raising the staff for all to see, Megatron announced. "Rejoice, my Decepticons! For a new age is among us! In the name of our world, I activate this portal and witness the rebirth of our home! And the death of our enemies!" His declaration was met by roars of approval by the Decepticons.

Unbeknownst to them, Burton was there. Thanks to Perceptor, the old man was using a device that was cloaking him and the nearby military forces from the Decepticons' scanners. The moment Megatron was in his sight, Burton transformed his cane into a Cybertronian rifle and fired at the Decepticon. The Decepticon leader let out a gasp of pain as the energy projectile struck his shoulder. It was also the signal for the attack. Starting it off was Guzzle, now with an FV107 Scimitar alt mode, who fired a shot that hit Barricade in the chest, nearly knocking the enforcer on his aft. Soon the rest of the Autobots there as well as the British Armed Forces appeared, firing at the Decepticons.

Shockwave fired a particle wave blast from his AstroMag cannon, destroying several tanks. Behind him, Astrotrain fired his Ionic Displacer Rifle, tearing apart tanks with each blast. Fracture and Blackout immediately got in front of their lord, firing back at the humans and Autobots, the former firing her charged plasma blaster, while the latter fired his right forearm mounted minigun and his left forearm mounted rotor blaster, which fired concussive shells. Barricade fire his arm-mounted Gatling Gun along with Storm Surge, who fired his dual forearm mounted proton blasters, all the while guarding Megatron's rear as helicopters came flying in.

Meanwhile, Starescream with his left forearm-mounted Vulcan Rotary Cannon, Nitro Zeus firing his left forearm mounted neutron minigun and Cyclonus with his right forearm mounted double-barrel laser revolver cannon were firing at the front. Joining in, Megatron roared as he fired a few shots from his fusion cannon before slamming his fist into the center of Stonehenge. Doing so revealed a piece of machinery that released a burst of electricity that went into the _Steelhaven_. Additional stone pillars popped out of the ground around the Decepticons, the sign that the device was ready.

As he got up, Megatron spotted Burton and realized he was the one who fired at him. "You wretched human!" He snarled as he fired his cannon, hitting the elderly human at point blank range. Burton was sent flying through the smoke and debris before landing on the ground.

"Lord Megatron! Autobot forces have appeared!" Astrotrain yelled over his plasma cannons.

Sure enough, the _Iron Will_ and _Axalon_ could be seen not to far away. With a frown Megatron picked up the staff. "Decepticons! To Cybertron!" He ordered before transforming and flying upwards. Starscream, Blackout, Nitro Zeus and Cyclonus soon joined him, ignoring the gunfire. Astrotrain transformed and opened his ramp for Fracture, Storm Surge, Barricade and Shockwave to walk on. Once they were on board the large Decepticon took off and followed the others.

A few minutes later, the two Autobot vessels had finally landed. Coming out of the _Axalon_ were Prowl, Sideswipe, Jolt, Armorhide, Ratchet, Cliffjumper, Hound, Jazz, Arcee, Elita-1, Chromia, Wingblade, the Aerialbots, Skids, Mudflap, Camshaft, Mirage, Warpath, Inferno, Crosshairs, Stratosphere, Brawn, Drift, Evac, Ramhorn, and the Dinobots. Following them were Izabella, Simmons, Jimmy, Leo, Dutch and Sqweeks. From the forests were Hot Rod and the rest of his team coming to meet them. Sideswipe optics lit up when he spotted a familiar golden colored mech. "Sunny!" The silver warrior shouted as he ran over to greet his twin brother in a hug.

Sunstreaker laughed. "Good to see you too, Sides!" He said back while Bob hissed happily. Surprised by the Insecticon's presence, Sideswipe nevertheless bent down and scratched him by the antennae.

As the rest of the Autobots greeted one another, Magnus's ship had finally landed. When the _Iron Will's_ doors opened, Cogman immediately dashed out towards where Burton was lying. He was followed by Nova.

"My Lord! Lord Folgan!" Cogman cried as he ran over to Burton. The man had multiple scratches on his face and his clothes were badly burnt. His breathing was becoming shallow too. The Headmaster knelt beside his Lord, trying to find someway to help him, only to come to the sad conclusion that Burton wouldn't make it. Burton tried to raise a shaky hand which Cogman took with his own metallic hand.

"I had it Cogman…I had my moment." Burton managed to whisper.

Cogman nodded sadly. "You did my Lord. It was magnificent." The Headmaster complimented. "This is always the hardest part of my job. Watching Folgans die. However, out of all the Earls I served, you were the coolest of the Burton family." He added. The sound of footsteps could be heard and yet without even turning his head, Cogman knew that Nova standing behind him. "He's here, my lord. Young Adam is here." Cogman said.

Through hazy eyes, Burton looked upon the young man, the son of a woman who was like a daughter to him. Nova had managed to retract the metallic armor a bit, so his human face could be seen, as well as his right hand. Getting to one knee, Adam took Burton's other hand with both his Cybertronian and human hands.

"Thank you for everything…grandpa." Nova Prime whispered gently.

Burton managed a weak smile at that title. He then looked at Cogman. "Cogman, please. Serve him as you did me. Promise me that." He requested.

"Of course, my lord. As you wish." Cogman replied.

"Very good, Cogman. Carry on." Were Burton's last words. His breathing had finally ceased, and his chest had stopped rising. It was at that moment that the last Earl of Folgan had finally died.

Kup and Highbrow had finally arrived at that moment. Upon seeing Burton's status, they looked down with sad optics as the human they had watched since he was a child passed away. "Highbrow, right?" Nova Prime said as he stood up. "Take his body gently and bring him to the _Axalon_. We're not leaving him here."

Highbrow nodded. "Understood." The ancient Seeker said. With gentle hands, the flyer picked up Burton's form and cradled it closed to his chest, near where his spark was.

As Highbrow took care of Burton's body, the remaining three went back to rejoin the others. When they were close enough, Nova Prime was nearly knocked over by an overexcited Ramhorn. The Cybertronian Rhino was licking Nova's face, happy to see him. "Good to see you too, Ram." Nova said with a laugh.

"Adam!" Izzy cried as she hugged her friend. Nova was a bit surprised but returned the hug. He then bumped fists with Rewind and Evac as they took in his new appearance.

Back with the other Autobots, Optimus, Magnus, Bumblebee, Springer, as well as the Protectobots and the Guardian Knights had finally regrouped with their comrades. Optimus saw Elita run up to him. As much as the couple wanted to express the joy they both felt for finally seeing the other, they knew that now was not the time. With a heavy spark, Optimus faced his comrades.

"Knights, Autobots! This cannot and will not be the end. To save our worlds and people, we are going to steal Quintessa's staff and restore Cybertron's core. Only you, Viviane, can take back the staff, whereas Nova Prime and his power of the Allspark, can re-energized the core. This will no doubt be one of the greatest battles we have ever fought, and when the account of the ages is etched into the cosmos, let those who exist long after us know that this was our finest hour!" Optimus declared as the Autobots shouted in agreement.

Crosshairs nudged Hound's arm. "Love that guy. Goosebumps all the time." The paratrooper commented. Hound nodded in agreement.

Lennox's radio came alive. :Colonel, this is Burke! We're inbound on Ospreys. Should be having a visual of us by now: The gunner said.

Sure enough, three Ospreys were on approach towards Stonehenge. Graham was giving out orders to the men to be ready to move as Lennox, Epps and Santos watched the VTOLs make their way over.

"That's it? Only three Ospreys?" Epps asked, as he looked at the small number.

"The fleet had reported being attacked by a Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier before it literally took off into the air. Probably a Decepticon. This was all they could spare along with a couple of Harriers and Typhoons from the Brits." Santos explained. "Think it will be enough?"

As much as Lennox would like to say, 'yes'. "No, nowhere close." The Colonel then looked back at the Autobots. They were still cheering after hearing their leader's speech. "But, we've been in situations like this before. We'll manage."

That's when Cliffjumper looked up. His optics widened. "Look!" He cried as the chunks of Cybertron started moving.

 **(Ignition Chamber, Cybertron)**

21,000 feet above Earth, Megatron soon arrived at the remains of Iacon. Surrounding the former Hall of Records were hundreds of Decepticons, Vehicons, Assault Carriers and AA-guns. Hovering over the building was Tidal Wave, now in his flight mode. Behind the Hall was the _Longshot_ , the Star Seeker's spacecraft. Escorting Megatron was Blast Off, a member of the Combaticons who had just arrived. He had a blackish brown McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle alt mode. Starscream and Blackout were also with him. Once they reached the entrance to the chamber, Blast Off flew off to regroup with the other Combaticons while the other three Decepticons transformed and headed inside. Waiting for them were more Decepticons, as well as Infernocus and Quintessa. The troops roared as their leader came striding in, staff in hand.

Soundwave walked up to his master. "Lord Megatron, all forces are in defensive formation." The communication officer reported as Rumble and Laserbeak rode on his shoulders.

"Excellent." Megatron said as he approached the center of the chamber. There were two large statues on the side, holding swords up. Floating in the center of them was Quintessa. "I have recovered your staff of power!" Megatron declared proudly, his army shouting out in triumph.

"Well done Megatron." Quintessa commented as she called the staff up to her. "The treacherous Autobots and their human allies will attempt to stop us. However, only one of them is a true threat to our plans. I felt her just as I felt the staff. She is the only one who can regain the staff and stop the transference. We cannot allow her to enter."

"Do not fear. My army will stop them." Megatron responded as several assault fighters flew out of the chamber.

Quintessa nodded. "Then watch. For with this staff, the healing shall begin. Their world shall die and ours reborn!" She said as she pushed the staff into the mechanism below her. Energy surged outward, momentarily covering the entire chamber. Then arcs of lightning shot up towards Quintessa. The sorceress held her hands out as electricity moved through her body and out her fingertips. The lightning than traveled up the swords. The chamber began to light up in response.

Back on Earth, the planet's thermal energy, the energy of Unicron, was starting to get sucked up. They came out from the stones and into the bottom of the _Steelhaven_. The energy surged through the ship, inside and out, before being shot out from the ship's roof and hit the chunks of Cybertron. Slowly, the planet's pieces started to come together, rather violently as some pieces broke off. Across the Earth, the giant pieces of Cybertron began to cause untold amounts of damage.

The parts near Stonehenge were also acting up, as the humans and Autobots were witnessing. There were even a few close calls where a chunk that had broken off nearly crushed them.

"Holy shit!" Epps shouted as a large cable-like structure nearly crushed him.

"Quintessa has begun the transfer! We must get to the _Axalon_!" Optimus ordered as he started running towards the large ship.

"You heard him Autobots! Get your afts moving!" Ironhide roared as he and the others followed their leader.

"Move! We need to get out of here!" Lennox ordered his team, followed by Cade, Viviane, Jimmy, Izabella, Simmons, Leo and Dutch. The rest of the British forces also followed them, abandoning their tanks. They had been ordered by the Prime Minister to assist TRF and the Autobots. Flying above the group of combined forces were the Autobot flyers, the _Iron Will_ , and the Ospreys.

"Get to the Ospreys! Get to the Ospreys before we're crushed!" Santos ordered.

"They're going to roll right over us!" Shouted Hound as he kept running.

Armorhide jumped as a piece of debris nearly hit him. "How the slag is this healing Cybertron? It looks like she's causing more damage!" He exclaimed.

Evac was shielding Izabella and Adam as they continued running. He picked up the young girl when she nearly lost her footing. "Less talking more running!"

 **(The** _ **Axalon**_ **)**

Fortunately, they had managed to reach the _Axalon_ with little trouble. The Ospreys and Magnus's ship landed in the nearest hangar before the large Cybertronian ship went up. It easily bypassed large falling debris and the various floating sections of Cybertron. As the _Axalon_ flew up, the Autobots and humans had managed to organize themselves once they relaxed from their little sprint.

Now, preparations were being made for the coming battle. Turrets were being armed and loaded, Ospreys were preparing for take-off. Autobots and soldiers were readying their weapons. Meanwhile, several of them were currently meeting in the command room. A holo-screen was on, showing the images of General Morshower, Secretary of Defense John Keller, and members of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In the center of the room was a holographic projection of Earth and Cybertron. It was there that Perceptor and Wheeljack took the stage.

"According to what Optimus told us, Quintessa is draining Earth's energies, leeching it to restore Cybertron." Perceptor began as he pointed at the image. It showed what was obviously energy coming up through the Earth through the _Steelhaven_ like a funnel and spreading throughout Cybertron. "The energy is the geothermal energy coming from the planet's core. After further analyst, Wheeljack and I deduced that the core also formed the magnetic field that protected humans from cosmic radiation. If the energy siphoning isn't stopped, then the core's temperature will drastically decrease, causing the field to dissolve."

"What would happen then?" Keller asked, though he had a pretty good idea what the outcome would be.

A JPL Engineer answered that. "If our hypothesis is the same, it will turn Earth into microwave with us as unprotected popcorn." The man explained.

"A rather interesting way to describe it. But, yes, that would be the most likely result." Added Perceptor.

There was a moment of silence as the humans gathered took that in. The idea of such a thing happening to them was not a pleasant one. To the side, Magnus leaned his head closer to Optimus's. "Are we not going tell them that their core is actually Unicron?" The newly designated second-in-command asked.

Optimus shook his head. "It would bring up too many questions. And now isn't the right time." The Prime whispered back.

Wheeljack took over. "From Cosmos's earlier scans, the ignition chamber was we dubbed it, is serving in a similar manner as the Sun Harvesters that the Dynasty used to use. In this case however, the chamber also acts as a battery charger. The energy is transferred to Cybertron's core, which in turn is having the planet reconstitute itself. The multiple impacts between the separated chunks are merging together by generating new cyber-matter that is acting like glue sort of."

"How do we stop it then?" Morshower asked the main question.

It was Optimus who answered. "As Merlin's DNA was etched into the staff, only his descendant Viviane can retrieve and stop the transfer."

"Okay. I know this isn't my place to say it, but I have to disagree with, what is to me, a dumb idea." The JPL engineer said. "Personally, I'm gonna rely of physics and mathematics to save the planet, not mysticism, fairies and some hobgoblins."

A few people gave the engineer a few odd looks but Mearing, who had been listening from another video feed, asked. "And what is your answer to this dilemma?"

A second, smaller image appeared on the screen. It showed what had been designated as the ignition chamber. It then focused on another chunk of Cybertron above the chamber. "See this. We fire tactical nukes at this chunk and make it detach. It swings down and knocks off the chamber and boom! Earth is saved." The engineer said with a satisfied look on his face.

"An interesting strategy but flawed." Perceptor retorted. "First is that the chamber has its own gravitational field, which is being powered the more it drains energy from Earth. It won't go down even if you fired the nuke at it. The second is that Cosmos's scans show that the Decepticons have deployed Anti-Air turrets to protect the chamber. Any aerial crafts or projectiles will be shot down before they even get close. The final and most important reason is that the same gravity field that is holding the chamber is extended to the rest of Cybertron. Its why the planet didn't violently collide with Earth. If, by some chance, your plan did indeed work, the rest of the chunks would cease to remain afloat and fall back under the control of Earth's own gravity field. By my calculations, the impact would wipe out at least two-thirds of humanity, and render 80 percent of Earth a wasteland and uninhabitable, 60 if lucky."

A long silence filled the room as Perceptor finished his explanation. The JPL Engineer had a disbelief look on his face towards how quickly and easily the Autobot scientist brought down his idea. It looked like he had gone catatonic and soon his screen went off.

Keller cleared is throat to get everything moving again. "Then it sounds like removing the staff would also deactivate the field too."

"True, which is why we must also restore Cybertorn's core in order to heal the planet, ensuring it and Earth's survival." Optimus replied. He gestured to Nova Prime, who was standing next to his leg. "As young Nova gained the powers of the Allspark, he possesses the infinite energy that the Cube had in order to recharge our planet's core."

Magnus walked up as the hologram on the table shifted. It was now showing the area between the _Axalon_ and the Ignition Chamber. "The _Axalon's_ shield can easily protect it from the numerous chunks, though its speed will be reduced. However, Megatron won't allow us to get close and will most likely send his flyers to keep us occupied. That is why we'll be taking the _Ark_ and Ospreys to drop a small strike force commanded by Colonel Lennox and I close to the chamber while the rest of our troops keep their flyers distracted. At the same time, Stratosphere will take Optimus and Nova to where the core is located. It is imperative that Nova Prime begins recharging the core _before_ the staff is removed. It's the only way to ensure that Cybertron does not crash into the Earth."

"Autobot flyers and our own pilots will be escorting us towards the chamber as well as keep any fighters off us as we head in." Lennox added as he walked up beside Magnus. "But we've also spotted another ship near the ignition chamber."

"The _Longshot_ , the Star Seeker's vessel." Springer said. "If it gets into the fight, the _Axalon_ won't stand a chance."

"Which is why we'll be sending a small force to infiltrate the ship to take it down before it can even get into the fight." Optimus said. Turning his head, the Prime looked up at Grimlock, who had been quiet the whole time. "Can we count on you and the Dinobots, Grimlock?"

The large Knight nodded. "Just leave it to us. We'll slaughter them all." The large mech said.

"We'll be deploying fighters to give assistance. The British Prime Minister has also dispatched squadrons too." Keller added. "We won't be staying out of this fight."

Suddenly a holo-image of Drift appeared. :Sensei, we have a situation: The samurai bot said.

"What's happening Drift?" Optimus asked.

:Some of the others are reacting…aggressive towards the TRF soldiers at the main hangar. Its best if you come and see for yourself: Drift said before signing off.

The Autobots and humans in the command room didn't even say anything as they made their way towards the hangar. When they arrived, they saw several Autobots surrounding the TRF soldiers. The bots were shouting, swearing in both human and Cybertronian languages, looking ready to kill the soldiers. A few even had their weapons out. The humans were also a bit uneasy too. They were outnumbered and outgunned and it didn't seem like the Autobots were going to show them mercy. Ironhide and Hound were trying to break them up but with no avail.

"What is going on here?" Magnus asked as he and Optimus approached the group. Lennox ran over to check on his men.

It was Hubcap who answered. "Why the slag are these _murderers_ here?" The orange mech asked with venom. He pointed an accusatory finger at the TRF soldiers. Several Autobots nodded in agreement, voicing their own protests.

"They've been hunting us like animals! We have no reason to work with them!"

"I lost my friends because of them!"

"They're no different than Cemetery Wind!"

"My sparkmate was nearly murdered by these humans!"

"I've seen them kill non-combatants too, without mercy!"

"They don't deserve our help!"

"Kill them!"

"Throw them off the ship!"

More and more bots were getting riled up. It wouldn't be long before they start to get violently and actually kill the humans. Fortunately, any hostile action was ended when Optimus's spoke up.

"Enough!" He yelled. His voice got everyone's attention. Once all eyes and optics were on Optimus did he continue. "Now is not the time to be focused on grudges. I know many of you hold resentment towards the humans for what they have done to us these past six years. Believe me, my fellow Autobots, I know. But what we face right now is a threat far greater than we could've ever imagined. If we failed here, then Earth will be destroyed, and Cybertron will be ruled by a tyrant. I do not expect you to forgive the humans, but to put aside your anger for the time being."

None of them seem pleased, but they didn't resist. Though there were a few grumbles. Slowly, the crowd dispersed and headed off towards their assigned posts. The TRF soldiers let out long breaths of relief. Santos kept a wary eye on the Autobots as they walked away.

"You know, the polite thing to do would be to say, 'thank you'." A voice commented.

Turning around, Santos saw Cade leaning against a wall, arms crossed. He, as well as Viviane, were now wearing pilot full body jumpsuits. Izabella, Nova, Sqweeks were also with him, while Canopy towered over them.

"You got something to say, Yeager?" Santos asked.

Cade snorted. "If those guys went through with murdering you lot, they would've been in the right. I know I wouldn't bat an eye." Some of the soldiers flinched at his brutal comment. "The past six years, Cemetery Wind, you guys, and who knows who else, have hunted them like animals. Yet not once did they ever try and fight back. Maybe in self-defense but nothing else. The only time they brought the fight to the enemy was when they saw what KSI and Cemetery Wind were doing to their people. I'd probably do the same thing. Also, did you know that Prowl had a spy inside your HQ this whole time?" Cade explained. He took satisfaction when the surprise look appeared on Santos's face at that last part. "We knew what you guys were doing the whole time and yet never even thought of attacking your base. Because if we did, it just be showing that humanity was right about the Cybertronians. You guys specifically never stopped hunting me."

Santos shifted his gear, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Orders. You were with them."

"With 'them'?" Cade asked in what he meant by that. "I believe in one of the great ones. Optimus Prime. And his Autobots. I never lost faith. Heck even a kid knew the difference between the good ones and bad ones." He added gesturing to Izabella. "But you did. The whole world did. Now you want to fight with us. Well I appreciate you guys making the choice, thank you."

Cade then walked off, joining Viviane who was staring at the clear sky. Canopy picked up Izabella and Sqweeks before leaving too. That just left Santos and several TRF soldiers with contemplative looks. Eventually, Santos came to a decision and tore off his TRF patch. One by one, the rest did the same. Cade watched with approval before taking out his phone. Seeing how they were preparing for the endgame, this might be the last chance he had to text Tessa. All he said was, 'I'll always be in the sky for you.'

A while later, Autobots and humans were at the main hangar, preparing for battle. There was an awkward atmosphere from the recent confrontation, but at least they weren't trying to kill the other. Nova Prime was checking his new body, trying to do a quick run through of what he could do. Surrounding him from a fair distance were the Guardian Knights. Each of them had their weapons out and ready. Some of the Autobots took a moment to look at them.

"Very mean looking, aren't they?" Drift noted.

Hound chewed his cy-gar. "Ah they look like wussies to me."

"Try saying that when they beat the crap out of you, Hound." Bumblebee said with his real voice.

It took a moment, but it finally occurred to the Autobots that the yellow mech was actually talking. "Bee!" Ironhide roared as he lifted the smaller bot up off the ground. "Your voice box, it's working!"

"Y-yeah. Guess it got back into place when I was fighting that Optimus clone." Bumblebee said as the weapon specialist put him down.

As the rest of his friends were crowding around him, congratulating the scout on getting his voice back, Izabella was talking to Epps. After watching how some of the soldiers were acting, the young girl noted that Epps and Graham, as well as some such as Master Sergeant Brian Burke, Chief Warrant Officer Jorge "Fig" Figueroa, Sergeant Mark 'Baby Face' Zimmerman, Staff Sergeant Josh Stone, Sergeant First Class Vega Hooch, Sergeant Eddie 'Hardcore Eddie' Speight, Lieutenant Dustin Perkins, Sergeant First Class Donald Eckerson, Staff Sergeant Ames Khruger, Sergeant First Class Aaron Mongo, Staff Sergeant Marc Lawson, Staff Sergeant Taylor "Tiny" Del Rey, Staff Sergeant Peter "Stackhouse" David, Staff Sergeant Ehren Rakishi and First Sergeant Zack "Don" Donnelly, the younger brother of the late Patrick Donnelly, were okay to hang out with. Beside her was Sqweeks while Canopy stood behind them. Izzy took looked at the rocket launcher Epps was adjusting. "Is that thing designed to kill Decepticons?" The girl asked.

"Nah" Epps said as he finished loading the launcher. "That's our job."

Suddenly, Roller's voice spoke through the ship's speakers. ::Everyone, you might want to get moving! The scanners are picking up a large number of hostiles incoming!::

Flying through the clouds and around the chunks of Cybertron, several dozen Vehicons, both jetfighters and helicopters, were flying towards them, as well as other aerial Decepticons. Leading them were the Seekers: Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Thrust, Dirge, Slipstream, Sunstorm, Nacelle, Acid Storm, Hotlink, and Bitstream, with Dreadwing also joining them. Starscream was flying at the very front. They were heading straight towards the _Axalon_.

"Wheeljack! Activate the storm generator!" Optimus ordered as he activated the dropship's engines.

::Copy that, Prime. Preparing generators!:: The inventor responded.

As the soldiers boarded the Ospreys, the Autobots that volunteered for the assault got onto the Ark. That included Crosshairs, Prowl, Jazz, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Mirage, Jolt, Roadbuster, Topspin, Leadfoot, Steeljaw, Kup, Arcee, Chromia, Sunstreaker, Warpath, Guzzle, Ultra Magnus, Elita-1, Armorhide, Brawn, Smokescreen, Clocker, Drift, Cliffjumper, Inferno, Skids, Mudflap, Salvage, Bob, Longarm, Trailbreaker and the Protectobots minus Blades. The flyers, Silverbolt, Breakaway, Air Raid, Wingblade, Blades, Springer, Tomahawk, Blazemaster, Whirl, Skyhammer, and Highbrow. Joining them were Bumblebee and Hot Rod, who would be using the two remaining Assault Carriers. They were all preparing for take-off. The Dinobots were herded aboard the _Iron Will_ by Cosmos and Windcharger, while Gears did some last-minute checks. Stratosphere opened his ramp as Optimus, Nova, Evac, Ramhorn, Cogman and Rewind got on board. Camshaft, Dune Runner, Hoist, Perceptor, Trench, Strongarm, Knock Out, Grindcore, Scattershot, Rollbar, Wheeljack, Signal Flare, Brains, Wheelie, Landmine and Hubcap had elected to remain behind with the other Autobots when the Decepticons attacked the _Axalon_. Sqweeks and Canopy were also hanging back to watch Izabella.

"Depeche Toi, Bumblebee! Get aboard!" Hot Rod said to the yellow mech. Ironhide was gripping the back of the assault fighter the French speaking Autobot was piloting, while Hound was on Bee's. Once Bumblebee was seated in place, both mechs powered up their fighters.

The Ospreys began spinning their blades, Omega Supreme and the other Autobot flyers readied their engines. The remaining Autobots all cheered for the strike force. Canopy was also cheering when he noticed that two people were missing. "Izzy? Sqweeks?" He asked as he looked for his friends, who were originally just near his feet.

In one of the Ospreys, Yeager and Viviane were having help getting their seat belts on. Lennox was shouting out orders. "Okay remember everyone! We're way above the altitude that Ospreys are meant to fly, so be prepared for a bumpy ride!" The Colonel said.

"That doesn't make me feel better, Lennox." Cade yelled.

"Wasn't supposed to." Lennox retorted as he ordered the pilots to take off. As the Osprey started to life off, a tarp came off, revealing Izabella and Sqweeks. Cade did a double-take when he saw the pair. "What are you doing here?" He asked, more like demanded.

Izzy seemed a bit stunned at being caught. "I-I don't know. Sqweeks had snuck on board, and I got worried."

"Now I'm worried. We need to get her off here." Cade yelled at someone to listen. "Damn it, Adam's going to kill me."

Unfortunately, no one heard him as the Osprey's rotors began to spin faster. "That's probably a bad idea." Izabella commented.

The _Axalon_ dispersed the static smoke. The smoke covered the lower hangar where the strike force was. Its electric field caused the Decepticons to fly above it and away from the hangar. This also left them open to the ship's turrets. "Roller sir. Decepticons are preparing to dive towards us." An Autobot reported in the command room.

Sitting on the command chair, Roller nodded as he began giving out orders. "Tell the gunners to open fire. I want the shield on as well automatic turrets. Divert power from the magnet and the storm generator once the strike force is out. Have response teams on standby for possible boarders. Medics and repair teams too. I am not losing this ship or anymore crew members again. Am I clear?"

There were multiple responses as his orders were sent out. Roller contacted the strike force. "Strike team, you're clear to depart. Primus be with you."

The first to fly out were the Aerialbots and Wingblade. After them were the Ospreys alongside Blazemaster, Whirl, Springer, Blades Tomahawk, and Skyhammer. Omega Supreme followed behind them along with the two Assault Fighters and Highbrow. Finally, the Knights took off, combining into Dragonstorm who roared as he flew behind the others. The Typhoon FGR4s and AV-8B Harrier II Plus' linked up with them as they headed towards their target.

Meanwhile, the _Axalon_ 's turrets had already opened fire. Autobot gunners fired from their cockpits and rockets were launched as well. Numerous Vehicons were shot down, and the rest were forced to scatter as they opened fire on the Autobot vessel. Starscream fired a missile and destroyed a turret when he spotted the strike force. "Lord Megatron. The Autobots have dispatched a small task force and are heading your way." The Seeker reported.

Back at the Ignition chamber, Megatron nodded. "Continue your attack on the _Axalon_. If it reaches here to support the Autobots, we will not be able to hold it back. Dispatched some fighters to go after them." Megatron ordered. He then turned around and looked at the Assault Fighters. They had been held in the reserve for situations such as this. "Intercept those Autobots!" He ordered as the fighters took off.

"Dreadwing! Take command of the Vehicons! Seekers with me!" Starscream ordered as he flew after the Autobot/Human strike force. Following him were the rest of his squadron.

"It shall be done." Dreadwing replied as he took out a turret. "Jet Vehicons! Continue engaging those turrets. Helicopter Vehicons! Begin boarding the _Axalon_ and engage the crew!"

Back with the strike force, they were so far in the clear. The Ospreys were having some trouble stabilizing but did not show any signs of malfunction just yet. "Yee ha!" Hound cheered as they soared through the air.

On the _Ark_ , the Autobots were preparing themselves for when they landed. Crosshairs, Brawn, Kup, and Armorhide had manned Omega's rear, sides and upward gun pods, since the large Cybertronian couldn't multi-task. They fired the plasma blasters at anything in view. Magnus was at the front looking at the scanners. "Stratosphere, Cosmos. We're nearing the checkpoint. Be prepared to split off towards your assigned locations."

::Understood, Magnus:: Cosmos replied.

::Copy that, Magnus. I'll make sure to get these guys there safely:: Confirmed Stratosphere.

Omega suddenly spoke up. "Warning: Decepticon flyers detected. Location: Rear and front."

The Assault Fighters had arrived and had begun to open fire on the Autobots and humans. At the same time, the Seekers did a dive and opened fire from behind. The Aerialbots took the lead and fired their missiles and downed five of the carriers. Some of the Decepticon fighters tried to attack from the side but were intercepted by Hot Rod and Bumblebee.

"Take them out!" Ironhide yelled behind Hot Rod. The weapon specialist fired one of his shell cannons, hitting a fighter's gun. The French speaking mech fired his fighter's weapons, destroying the Decepticon one.

"We got boogies coming to us, Bee!" Hound shouted. The yellow mech let out a click in agreement as he downed a fighter.

Thundercracker let loose his rockets and struck the nearest Osprey. "Incoming! Incoming!" The pilot shouted. Immediately, the Osprey released flares that confused the missiles' built in homing signals. The projectiles harmlessly passed by and instead detonated on one of the large chunks of Cybertron. Next up Skywarp fired his weapons at another Osprey but was blocked when Omega Supreme got in front of the human aircraft.

Izabella was clutching Sqweeks tightly. "It'll be fine. Everything will be okay." She tried to reassure her friend and herself. The little blue mech was clicking wildly.

"Fighters, we need you distract the enemy ships or we're not going to make it!" Lennox ordered.

The Harriers and Typhoons immediately opened fire on the orbital assault fighters, managing to down three before the rest turned their attention on them. It soon became a dogfight between the Aerialbots, the human fighters against the assault carriers.

Back on Omega Supreme the Autobots immediately fired at the Seekers, forcing the Decepticons to scatter. "Keep them off of the Ospreys." Magnus ordered the bots at the gun pods.

"Magnus. We've reached the checkpoint." Prowl reported.

"Copy that" Magnus nodded and contacted the others. "Prime, Cosmos, you can now detach from the main force."

Once that was said, Stratosphere made a hard turn to the right, while the _Iron Will_ turned to the left towards the _Longshot_. As expected, some of the assault fighters went after them. Dragonstorm automatically pursued the ones going after Stratosphere, while Wingblade went to support Cosmos's group. Letting out a stream of flame from one of his heads, Dragonstorm downed one of the fighters. Another head latched onto a second fighter once close enough. The ship was immediately destroyed against Dragonstorm's teeth.

Wingblade had already opened fire with his wing mounted plasma rotary autocannons on the fighters chasing the _Iron Will_. He quickly downed two of the fighters before firing his wing-mounted ionic pulse missile launchers, destroying the last four instantly. Once the ship was in the clear, Wingblade did a turn and regrouped with the others. He shot down another fighter before it could destroy an Osprey.

With the _Ark_ , the Autobots were busy trying to shoot the Seekers. However, the Decepticon flyers were very nimble, dodging any attempts to bring them down. "Slag it all! These fraggers just don't stand still!" Complained Crosshairs.

"Quit complaining and just keep shooting!" Brawn yelled as he managed to shoot down a fighter. "At least the fighters are easier to hit than the Seekers."

The _Ark_ shook a bit, causing the Autobots to stumble. Skids and Mudflap both collided with the closes wall. "Dem foolz are gonna be in a world of hurt when I'd get my handz on dem!" Skids complained.

"Yah! Bitchez gonna a good whoop ass!" Mudflap shouted in agreement while currently upside down.

Jolt and Ratchet were checking on Omega's status. "The big guy is still holding strong, Magnus. But we can't fight off those Seekers and protect the humans at the same time." Ratchet reported.

Magnus nodded and contacted the others. "Autobot flyers except Blades. Break off from formation and engage the Decepticon Seekers. We'll provide cover for the human aircrafts.

::Copy that Magnus. We're on it:: Silverbolt replied as turned around. Air Raid and Breakaway followed as they fired at the Seekers. Wingblade and the helicopter Autobots also followed. Blazemaster began shooting at Skywarp, who was forced to turn around as the blue and orange Autobot flew after him. Wingblade had engaged himself in a dogfight against Thrust and Dirge, while Skyhammer and Tomahawk were duking it out with the other Seekers. Despite the numbers being stacked against them, the Autobot flyers were holding their own. Highbrow began chasing after Ramjet and Thundercracker, who was doing well despite his older alt mode.

"Time to show these youngsters what real flying is all about!" Highbrow said as he continued the pursuit.

By then, the Ospreys and Omega were flying above a large piece of Cybertron. The same one that the ignition chamber was on. The human jetfighters had rejoined them by then and had spotted the AA gun. "Colonel Lennox, we're seeing AA fire coming near the ignition chamber. The Ospreys might be able to get close enough, but the large ship won't be able to get close to it with that turret in the way."

"Copy that. You get that Magnus?" Lennox asked as he was jostled a little.

::Loud a clear, Colonel. Omega will land us a bit back, so it will take us a little bit to regroup with you. Bumblebee and Hot Rod will support you until then:: Magnus replied.

 **(Ignition Chamber)**

"Oh yeah, about to have some fun here fools." Mohawk cheered as he stood on top of a rock. He, Nitro, Blackout, Ransack, Tankor, Brimstone, Kickback, Overcast, Long Haul, Wreckage, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Scowl, Rumble, Bonecrusher, Incinerator, Divebomb, Terradive, Storm Surge, Cyclonus, Fracture, Payload, Stockade, Astrotrain, Barricade, Dirt Boss, Blitzwing, Lugnut, Hailstorm, Space Case, Jetstorm, Mindwipe, Sideways, Bludgeon, the Combaticons and Stunticons had gathered together with other Decepticons and Vehicons. They were all watching as the Ospreys approached, eagerly awaiting for battle. With them were Straxus and Infernocus.

Nitro chuckled. "Not if big bro blows them all up first." He said.

Megatron watched as the three Ospreys were heading towards them, the jetfighters doing their best to provide cover. Snarling, the Decepticon leader looked at Shockwave. "Blast those insects out of the sky!"

Shockwave bowed. "As you order, my liege." He said emotionlessly. Walking forward, the other Decepticons and Vehicons made room as he cocked his arm cannon. Taking aim, Shockwave launched a barrage of rockets at the Ospreys.

Osprey pilot at the front saw the rockets first. "Incoming!" He cried but it came too late. The rockets managed to hit the first two Ospreys, damaging them badly, while the last one managed to dodge the rockets just barely. The sudden shift caused the aircraft to lost is stability and all of them began to descend down to the ground to fast.

"Hold on, we're going down!" Lennox cried as everyone held onto their belts tightly. Izzy hugged Sqweeks as much as she could.

"Brake, brake, brake! Keep away from the edge!" The pilots shouted to one another as they slid across the chunk of Cybertron. The rotor blades broke apart and some of the wings also flew off too. None of the Ospreys landed gracefully, that was for sure.

The Ospreys eventually stopped, but the soldiers had little time to relax. Already, Decepticon forces were moving in, firing their weapons. Use to this, Lennox was already giving out orders. "Everyone, get out, get out!" He yelled as he helped Figs to his feet.

"Get the big guns out! Cover our boys, c'mon!" Zack shouted as Epps and Burke fired their rocket launchers. Perkins was directed some British Soldiers to ready mortar launchers

The soldiers rushed to get out of the crashed Ospreys, firing at the oncoming Decepticons. Several were already killed before they could even fire, some sent flying from the explosions. Others were able to properly fire back, shooting nothing but explosive rounds, as well as stingers and grenade launchers.

Megatron was calmly walking towards the battlefield. Beside him were Shockwave, Nitro Zeus, Blackout and Infernocus, while Decepticons and Vehicons ran past them, eager to get into the fight. Infernocus also split into his six components and raced off. Megatron raised his fusion cannon and unfolded his battle mask. **"Kill them all!"** He declared in Cybertronian.

To the side, situated on a small hill was the gun emplacement, shifting between its turrets and AA guns as it fired at both human ground and air forces.

Lennox cursed as he fired his rifle, covering Cade as he helped Izabella and Viviane to cover. "That damn turret is tearing us apart!"

"Colonel! Cover up ahead!" Graham shouted over the sound of gunfire. Pointing with his rifle, the British soldier directed them to a large crater.

Lennox winced as gunfire from a passing by assault carrier nearly hit him. "Alright, everyone to the crater! We're too exposed here!" He ordered.

Any soldier that could made a dash towards the crater, stopping every now and then to avoid getting blasted. The Decepticons were unrelenting as they continued to hold the humans back. Up above, Bumblebee and Hot Rod's fighters had arrived, spotting their allies in trouble

"Looks like they need some help. Let's get down there, boys!" Ironhide shouted.

Hound cheered. "Let's rock, Bee!" He yelled.

"Let's kick ass!" Agreed Hot Rod.

The two Autobot fighters shot down some more Decepticons as they made their way towards the humans. Not too far behind, the other Autobots had already disembarked from Omega, and were trekking towards the frontline. Omega, having transformed, was coming up from the rear. The large Cybertronian was shielding his allies from aerial Decepticon attacks. He fired his back-mounted thermo rocket launchers and chest and wing plasma blasters. The barrage destroyed multiple Vehicon flyers and ground troops, giving the Autobots and humans some breathing space, if temporarily.

Back with the humans, most had managed to reach the crater and took cover as energy bolts flew over them. Soldiers had set up light machine guns and let loose their explosive bullets. Stinger missiles were also fired, downing any Decepticon or drone they could hit. Bumblebee and Hot Rod flew over their human allies, close enough for Ironhide and Hound to jump off and land.

"Getting down with the big boys!" Hound exclaimed as he let loose his triple minigun. Ironhide brought out his shell cannons and fired. The additional firepower of both the weapon specialist and commando had made the Decepticons pause, with several of their numbers being killed before the rest took cover.

"Ironhide, we got a Con on the high ground!" Lennox shouted as he spotted Hailstorm readying his shoulder-mounted missile launchers.

"I see him!" The weapon specialist shouted. Taking out his autocannons Ironhide fired at Hailstorm. The oncoming attack knocked the Decepticon off balance just as he fired his artillery. The rockets either landed away from the humans or accidentally hit an assault carrier.

Two soldiers were blown away when the turrets from the large gun emplacement fired at them. Hooch cursed. "That gun emplacement is the real problem! We can't move forward with it there." He exclaimed as he held his head down.

Cade, Viviane and Izabella were also with him. Izzy was being shielded by Viviane when she heard Hooch. Looking back to the crashed Osprey, Izabella saw Sqweeks hiding under the wreckage. An idea as the young teen quickly got up and ran off. "Izzy! Get back here, now!" Cade ordered over the gunfire.

"I'll be right back!" She shouted as she ran behind Hound's leg.

Izzy safely made it over to Sqweeks. "Sqweeks, Sqweeks! Listen to me. See that big ass gun?" Izabella asked, pointing at the large turret. When the small blue bot nodded, Izzy continued. "I need you to get over there and blow it up!"

Sqweeks looked at her as if she was crazy. He let loose a torrent of clicks and chirps, but Izzy wouldn't hear it. "It will work! Okay, you're small and ugly! No one will see you!" She screamed as an explosion appeared near them. However, Izzy remained steadfast. "Now blow it up!" Izzy yelled.

Sqweeks was silent for a moment. His shifted his optics between the turret and Izabella. Then he let out a confident, "Chihuahua!" And rolled off.

By then the rest of the Autobots had arrived. Their aerial fighters were still engaged with the Seekers as well as the Assault Carriers. They also had to contend with Terradive, Space Case, Cyclonus, Nitro Zeus, Ransack, Incinerator, Blitzwing, Lugnut and Divebomb.

"Omega Supreme provide support for our flyers. Ease their load." Magnus ordered the large Cybertronian.

"Understood" Replied Omega as he fired his right arm-mounted photon laser cannon. Several assault fighters were destroyed. That also included Bitstream and Hotlink, the teal and the purple colored Seekers were too slow to avoid the bolts.

"All Seekers! Focus your firepower on Omega Supreme. Down that annoying relic!" Starscream ordered as he fired his concussion rockets at the giant. Omega raised his left arm to block the attack, before firing back at the attacking Seekers.

Back with the other Decepticons, Megatron was firing his fusion cannons at the humans and Autobots. Seeing how the enemy were able to gain ground, the Decepticon leader snarled. "Combaticons, Stunticons, Infernocons! Transform! Kill them!" He ordered.

The Stunticons quickly merged into Menasor. The newly named Combaticons, Onslaught, Brawl, Swindle, Vortex and Blast Off did the same. Brawl and Swindle formed the left and right legs respectively. Vortex formed the left arm and Blast Off became the right arm. All four components combined with Onslaught, who acted as the torso and unveiled another head. The six Infernocons formed Infernocus right after them.

"Bruticus online! Ready for action!" The new combiner declared.

"Uh, we an't got enough ammo for those things!" Hound said as the three combiners unleashed their firepower. Bruticus fired his pair of proton rocket launchers on his back while preparing his sonic shock cannons, releasing concussive blasts. The Autobots ducked for cover as the projectiles exploded all over the place while the humans kept their heads down. Menasor fired his concussion cannons at the Autobot flyers, though had no luck of shooting them down.

Seeing their comrades in trouble, Hot Rod and Bumblebee did a dive to assist them. "The gray hound!" Hot Rod said, pointing at Infernocus. The two Autobots fired their fighters' weapons at the demonic Cybertronian, hitting him in the back several times as they flew past him. Annoyed, Infernocus fired at them with his nucleon shock cannons. The assault fighters were shot down and the two Autobots were forced to abandoned them before they crashed. Unfortunately, Bumblebee and Hot Rod landed not too far from Infernocus who was soon upon them.

"Hot Rod! Bumblebee! Get out of there!" Whirl yelled as he flew to their aide. He fired several rockets while spinning up his minigun. Infernocus was stunned as the projectiles hit him. That gave the two Autobots time to get to safety. Unfortunately, Infernocus managed to recover quick enough and fired his Particle Cannons at Whirl. One blast hit Whirl at the wing and another struck the flyer head on. Whirl was forced into robot mode as he violently hit the ground.

"Whirl!" Hot Rod cried as he ran over to his comrade. "Docteur Ratchet! Get over here!"

"It's, it's no good…" Garbled Whirl. Weakly, his clawed hand went to his chest. There, his spark could be seen, and he was leaking energon profusely. "He, he got a lucky shot…" Whirl whispered as his body went still. His large optic lost its light and went dimmed. Hot Rod cursed as he was forced to leave Whirl's body when the Decepticons pressed their attack.

"Slag it all!" Hound cursed as he gunned down another drone. "We're an Autobot down! Repeat, Autobot down!"

"Everyone, get to cover!" Prowl yelled as he fired his SMG, killing a Vehicon. Using his riot shield, he protected some human soldiers as they joined the others in the crater.

"Flyers! Avoid those combiners and that AA-gun! Continue supporting us from the air!" Magnus ordered as he fired his blaster rifle. He launched some rockets that stunned Menasor, saving Arcee from getting hit.

All the while no one saw Sqweeks moving across the battlefield. His large optics locked onto the large turret. With a chirp he continued rolling towards his target.

 **And there is part 1! I'll be working on the second part soon. I am also making some adjustments to Dark of the Moon: Altered. Not big ones, just some minor edits, so keep your eyes open! Or optics!**

 **Wacko12**


	15. Endgame Part 2

**The second part of the climactic battle. Be sure to enjoy and review!**

 **(The** _ **Axalon**_ **)**

Gunfire and explosions filled the skies around the mighty Cybertronian vessel. Vehicons flew in the air, many of them felled by the _Axalon's_ turrets. However, Autobots were also wounded in the battle, several having been hit by flying pieces of the ship as the enemy fired their rockets and guns. Non-combatants were helping their wounded Autobot comrades to the nearest medical center. Hoist had taken command over the medics and was busily running about to help the injured. Engineers were also at work, repairing any damage that had been inflicted on the _Axalon_ from the assault. Leading them were the Omnicons and Wheeljack. In the control room, Roller was seated at the captain's chair. He was giving out orders left and right as Autobots were running about.

On the left side of the ship, several Helicopter Vehicons had transformed and landed on a damaged launched pad, a large hole in the hangar's door. They immediately took out their pulse machine guns and opened fire. Several Autobots were hit while the others took cover. Among them were Camshaft, Rollbar and Dune Runner. The one-optic Autobot ducked as several plasma bullets soared over his head, before revealing a rocket launcher in his left aim, Camshaft fired three javelin-shaped rockets at the closes Vehicons. The projectiles impaled the drones in the chest, neck or face, before detonating, destroying them and any Vehicons near them. While he was doing this, a drone had managed to sneak up on Camshaft and fired his pulse machine gun right at the Autobot's back. The projectiles stung at first, bu the one-optic mech's Allspark enhanced adaptive armor managed to overcome the damage by hardening Camshaft's back armor. Once that was done, Camshaft spun around, brought out his right forearm-mounted photon rifle and fired, destroying the Vehicon's face.

Meanwhile, Rollbar morphed his right forearm into his plasma cannon while Dune Runner had his shoulder-mounted miniguns readied. The two young Autobots opened fire on the remaining Vehicons, gunning them down with plasma bolts and bullet rounds. Others soon joined in, pushing the drones back as Camshaft made his way over towards the hangar controls. Moving quickly, the Autobot keyed in the order and soon the emergency doors began to go down. He could hear the enemy flyers outside shooting at the door as it closed and covered the gaping opening.

"This is Camshaft on level 8 at hangar 12. Boarders have been repelled and emergency doors have sealed the breach." Camshaft reported.

:Understood! Leave a team there to guard it in case the Cons try to breach it. I want the rest to head towards the upper levels. They're getting hit hard up there: Roller responded. :You'll have to cut through the ship near the dark matter drive to reach there quickly:

"Got it!" Camshaft said before ordering the wounded to be taken to the infirmary.

Rollbar was helping move some of the wounded when the ship suddenly shook again. "Slag, those Cons are really hitting the ship hard." The bulky mech commented.

"Its going to get harder the more they get desperate." Dune Runner added. He was looking at some of the drone parts for anything useful. "The number of the drones they're losing is going fast. It's only a matter of time until they pull off something crazy."

"Hey!" Camshaft yelled. "Less talking more moving! We got wounded here and no telling when those drones are going to come back."

Meanwhile, outside the _Axalon_ , Dreadwing landed on a nearby chunk of Cybertron. There he observed the battle from a safe distance. The Vehicons were zooming around the large vessel with explosions appearing in the sky as weapons fired their ammo. There were a few skirmishes on the _Axalon_ itself but none of the drones were able to push deeper in. Dreadwing had to hand it to whoever was commanding the Autobots; they knew aerial warfare well. At this rate the Vehicons would be wiped out before they could even do serious damage. It was time to call in some reinforcements.

"Dreadwing to _Longshot_. We require assistance against the _Axalon_. Their defenses are a lot stronger than we had anticipated." Said Dreadwing.

:Copy that. We just finished resupplying ourselves with the Energon Quintessa harvested from Earth. _Longshot_ is moving out and preparing for interception: Switchblade replied.

Dreadwing ended the communication before looking back towards _Axalon_. The battle was still pretty much even as neither side being able to push the other. It was only a few minutes later when he heard the sound of an engine dying. Dreadwing was confused at first until his optic widened when suddenly the _Axalon_ began to tip a little to the side. Had something happen? Were the Vehicons able to do enough damage to make the large vessel lose its balance? The Decepticon flyer decided to transform and get a closer look, while at the same time ordering the drones to press their attack.

Back in the command room, Autobots were scurrying about. The sudden shift had caused some of them to slide into the wall, the consoles or into each other. A few were able to latch onto anything they could grab to remain place. Roller held to the sides of the command chair, spluttering Cybertronian swears as he tried to make sense of the current situation. "What the slag just happened?" The captain exclaimed as the _Axalon_ regained balance.

Having held onto his console, Perceptor was able to see the problem. "Power generators that siphon from the Dark Matter drive have been damaged. We've lost 30% power that holds the ship in the air." The scientist reported.

"Can we fix it?" Roller asked. He didn't even flinch when an explosion hit the window's shield.

"Not from here" Replied Perceptor. "Someone will have to go to the generators and fix them manually."

Roller got on the coms. "To all Autobots. Damage to Dark Matter drives as destabilized the ship. We need any available engineers to get to the power generator and initiate repairs!"

:This is Wheeljack! I'm with Trench and we're near where the damage is. We're already on our way there!: The inventor said back.

:Omnicons here! We'll be following you from behind and be with you shortly: Strongarm's voice added.

 **(Power Generator)**

Wheeljack and Trench were unsure of what to expect when they arrived at the generator. The sight of the controls partially melted took the inventor by surprised. Sparks and smoke were coming out of the console and the generators themselves were in similar shape. Much of the room was also in bad shape, with debris covering the floor and even the walls.

"What the slag happened here?" Trench muttered as Wheeljack ran over to the console.

The inventor scanned the controls before letting out an angry groan. "Whatever happened, the console is completely fried. I'll have to repair it before restarting the generators." Wheeljack declared as he pulled out his multi-action wrench. He then tore out metal plating, exposing the numerous wires and gears underneath the console. The inventor had just gotten his digits around the wires when the sound of a weapon being fired caught his audio receptors. If it wasn't for Trench pulling him out of the way, then it would be Wheeljack, not the console, that would be hit by a blast of cosmic rust.

The two Autobots followed the bolt's trajectory. Limping from the shadows of the power generator was Oil Slick. The Cybertronian chemical expert had multiple scratches on his armor. His left leg was badly damaged, and sparks could be seen flying out of it. In Oil Slick's right hand was his cosmic rust rifle.

"You!" Wheeljack exclaimed, recognizing Oil Slick. "How are you still alive? The automatic security turrets should've cut you down?"

Oil Slick snarled, not bothering to answer. He had been lucky during that moment when the ship's turrets turned on him and the Decepticons. While Smolder had been cut to pieces, Oil Slick somehow was knocked down into a nearby chute. He had been sent to the _Axalon's_ waste disposal chamber, the impact sending Oil Slick into stasis lock. It was hours later when the Cybertronian came too did he realized the Autobots had taken over the ship. Oil Slick was quick to check his options: it would be impossible to escape the vessel with the Autobots running about. He would be shot down in seconds. And even if he did somehow escape, Oil Slick would have nowhere to go, as Megatron would most likely rip him apart for failing to capture the _Axalon_ and getting some of his troops slaughtered. Thus, Oil Slick's only chance of survival was to damage the large Cybertronian ship so the Decepticons could capture it, and hopefully avoid Megatron's wrath. Hence why he damaged some of the ship's power generators.

"You don't need to know anything. Just die." Oil Slick said as he raised his weapon. He was about to fire when Trench charged at him. The Autobot grabbed Oil Slick's right arm and raised it upwards, causing the Con to fire his weapon at the ceiling. Trench then grabbed the Decepticon's waist with his other arm, pushing Oil Slick.

Not taking his optic off his opponent, Trench shouted at Wheeljack, "Wheeljack! Hurry and fix the power generator! I'll hold this slagger for as long as I can!"

"Let me go you piece of scrap!" Oil Slick demanded as he struggled against Trench. He was firing his weapon wildly. Fortunately for the Autobots, Trench managed to knock the rifle out of the Decepticon's hand.

Wheeljack, meanwhile, got to work on repairing the generator. The inventor wasn't foolish enough to believe that the young Autobot would be able to hold the veteran Decepticon back for long. Thus, Wheeljack had to focus on fixing the generator before he could help Trench. Though he wasn't an actual combatant, the inventor had enough experience that he and Trench should be able to take down Oil Slick.

Unfortunately, Oil Slick was not going to wait. Freeing his left hand, he activated his mounted claws and stabbed Trench in the waist. The tubes attached to them sent cosmic rust into the Autobot's body, rusting the inner circuits and parts. Trench screamed in pain as he collapsed onto the floor before the Decepticon.

Wheeljack gasped when he heard Trench's cries. Oil Slick turned his attention towards the inventor but was stopped when Trench grabbed his right leg. Ignoring his pain receptors, Trench tightened his grip and caused Oil Slick to lose his balance and fall to the floor. With a growl, the Con started to kick Trench to get the young Autobot to release him. Despite the repeated kicks to the face, Trench refused to let go. He was determined to give Wheeljack time to fix the generator.

Oil Slick continued kick Trench in the face, having even damaged one of the Autobot's optics. He would've continued when he suddenly heard a thrumming sound. Looking up, Oil Slick saw that the power generator was back up. The Decepticon had little time to react when Wheeljack struck him in the head with his wrench. The impact caused sparks to fly from the blow as Wheeljack prepared to land another hit. However, Trench's grip had weakened, allowing Oil Slick to free his leg and dodge the inventor's next attack.

Quickly getting up, Oil Slick grabbed Wheeljack by the neck and slammed him against the wall, causing the inventor to drop his wrench. "You think you accomplished anything?" Oil Slick snarled as he tightened his grip on Wheeljack, denting the metal. "It will only take a minute for me to kill you and sabotage the power generator again. All you did was delay the inevitable."

"Actually, he bought us time to get here!" A new voice shouted.

Surprised, Oil Slick turned his head towards the entrance. Standing there were Strongarm, Skyblast and Signal Flare. They all had plasma cannons out and aimed at the Decepticon. Said mech didn't even have a chance to react when the Omnicons fired on him. The first shots caused Oil Slick to lose his grip on Wheeljack, making the inventor hit the floor. Oil Slick tried to defend himself but realized that he was going to be killed so fled out the back door. Skyblast and Strongarm were still firing at him while Signal Flare checked up on Wheeljack.

"Wheeljack, are you okay?" The Omnicon asked the inventor.

Rubbing his neck, Wheeljack nodded. "I'm fine, Signal Flare. But we need to get Trench to the infirmary, fast." He responded. The two mechs ran over to help the young Autobot who was in stasis lock. Meanwhile, Strongarm was doing a check on the generator while Skyblast was contacting Roller about Oil Slick's presence.

Said Decepticon had managed to escape the Omnicons, though he had lost his right arm and rifle in the confusion. With his presence now known across the ship, Oil Slick's plan was scrapped. His only chance to escape was to reach the dropship at the bottom hangar. It had enough power for him to escape off world. Oil Slick just turned around another corner that would lead to the elevator, when he found himself staring at Landmine. The Allspark mutant had been guarding Simmons, Leo and Dutch as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. Leo let out a scream at the sight of Oil Slick, and Simmons nearly fell over in surprise.

Landmine was the one who acted first. Getting in front of his charges, he revealed his plasma rifle grenade launcher from subspace. With no means to defend himself, Oil Slick could do nothing but curse. "Slag" Were his last words as the Autobot gunned him down.

 **(The** _ **Iron Will**_ **)**

Ultra Magnus's vessel flew through air, skillfully dodging the large chunks of Cybertron. Inside the ship were the Dinobots were checking their weapons for action. Cosmos and Gears were at the pilot seats, steering the ship while Windcharger was checking the rotating turret.

"It doesn't look like we're being tailed anymore." Windcharger said as he checked for enemy fighters.

"Good, because we're approaching our target." Gears said for everyone to hear.

True enough, the vessel of the Star Seekers, the _Longshot_ , could be seen from the front window of the _Iron Will_. The Cybertornian starship moved through the large chunks of Cybertron slowly. Any debris that got close to the _Longshot_ was knocked aside by an energy shield surrounding it.

"About time. My blades have been getting itchy." Slash said as he readied his dual scythes.

Sludge snorted. "Not if I get to the action first." The larger Dinobot boasted as he hefted a spiked lance.

Before the other Dinobots could put in their own words, Gears spoke up. "No one is getting any action until we take down that shield. The slaggers managed to get a generator powerful enough to cover the whole ship." He said.

"Fortunately, we prepared for this." Cosmos noted as he went to the back of the ship and grabbed an object. In his hand was a cylinder silver shaped device that had several blinking lights on it. "Something that's the size of our ship won't be able to slip through the shields. But, an EMP bomb of this size will certainly get through with zero detection."

"So, we just get close enough and throw it through the shield?" Grimlock asked.

"No. Though the EMP doesn't have enough power to deactivate their whole ship, our vessel will completely shutdown if we're too close." Gears said. "Unfortunately, the launchers won't make the distance either, so once we fire the bomb, Windcharger will magnetically moved it closer until it bypasses their shields. Then I'll remotely set it off."

"We'll soon be in their scanner's range." Windcharger announced as he climbed down the turret's ladder.

"Understood. Cosmos load the bomb while I activate jammers. Windcharger, get up top and get ready to show us your magic. And Dinobots, just sit back and watch us work." Ordered Gears.

Cosmos walked towards the nearest rocket pod and loaded the bomb. "Okay, we're all set here."

Windcharger had climbed out of the ship, feeling the wind hitting him as he gripped onto the roof. He adjusted his optic as he focused on the _Longshot_. "All ready up here."

Cosmos gave a nod to Gears. Said mech nodded back before activating the launcher. "Firing EMP bomb…now!" And pressed the trigger.

The rocket tube hummed as the bomb was shot out, making a direct path towards the Star Seekers' ship. Windcharger locked onto it and immediately activated his electromagnet and latched onto the bomb just as it was losing its momentum. The _Iron Will_ began to move forward at a slow pace, making sure not to be sighted as well as remaining just a few inches from the bomb's blast range. Windcharger paid no heed to the ship's movements, or the large debris around him. The mech was solely focused on his tasks and ensuring that his grip on the bomb did not weaken. The bomb was slowly reaching the force field of the ship.

:Windcharger, how much longer? If we go any further, we'll either be caught in the blast or they'll detect us: Gears said over the transmitter.

"Just a few more meters…" Replied the mech. Windcharger could feel his power supply beginning to overload. If he didn't get the bomb through soon then he would lose his hold.

Fortunately, it seemed as if Primus was on his side. Just seconds away from losing control, the bomb made it fully through the shield. Windcharger collapsed on the _Iron Will's_ hull at the same time Gear's triggered the bomb. From their position aboard the ship, the Autobots watched as the EMP went off. The shield soon disappeared as signs of power outages throughout the _Longshot_ could be seen.

"Okay, shield is down. Cosmos, go and get Windcharger inside! I'm flying in fast!" Gears declared as he pressed the accelerator.

The round green mech scrambled up the ladder and helped bring in an exhausted Windcharger, who was close to slipping into recharge. The _Iron Will's_ thrusters flared up at the same time, the ship blasting forward as it hovered above the much larger vessel. A few seconds later the shield came back up and the _Longshot_ was moving again.

"Alright! We made it inside and they haven't picked up our signal yet." Gears announced. He scanned the top of the pirates' ship, locating a hatch big enough for the Dinobots. "Alright you guys. Hope you're ready for some action."

"We live for action!" Grimlock declared as he slammed his fist into his palm. "Let's rock!"

 **(** _ **Longshot,**_ **Command Bridge)**

"I need a status report!" Switchblade ordered.

The Star Seekers had begun moving when Dreadwing called for assistance with the _Axalon_. The pirates were planning on bombarding the Knight ship for a little bit to weaken the vessel. Then Switchblade would send boarding parties and take over the _Axalon_. It was a simple plan and would be easy to complete. The Autobots were already taking a beating from the Vehicons. Another battlecruiser like the _Longshot_ , would overwhelm them.

Then just a few minutes, the entire ship staggered, and the shield was momentarily down. Several systems had also gone down and for a moment it seemed like the _Longshot_ would fall from the sky. Fortunately, power came back online, and the warship remained stable.

"All systems appear normal now, sir! We're still working on getting the shields back to full operation. No idea yet as to what cause the power outage!" Astraea reported.

"Well get to it! We need to be fully operational before we engage the _Axalon_." Switchblade ordered before the ship suddenly shook. "Now what?!"

A yellow and teal Cybertornian, Meltdown, checked the scanners. "Sir! The outer hull of the ship has been breached! We've lost contact with that sector! Intruders have breached the _Longshot_!" Meltdown said.

Switchblade slammed a fist against the command chair. "I want response teams there now! Find out the disturbance and neutralize it!" He commanded.

A few minutes later, a team of Cybertornians were standing in front of a large door. On the other side was the room that had gone dark. Among the response team were a blue and orange femme, Catapult, along with Showdown, Shellshock and a smaller white mech with red and blue stripes named Swagger. Catapult had her shotgun out and gave a signal to the others to stand back while she opened the door.

However, before she could do so, a loud bang echoed, and the door shuttered. That caused the Star Seekers to back up and weapons raised. Several more bangs impacted the door and it was then that Catapult realized that their current forces were no match for whatever was repeatedly hitting the door. "Everyone! Fall back and regroup-"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off when the door was finally knocked down. The Star Seeker had no time to react when the massive metal fell on top of her crushing Catapult beneath it. As for the others, they had no time to gawk as the Dinobots, now in their Dinosaur modes, stormed through the room, roaring loudly.

Slug took a moment to look at Catapult's body, the upper part sticking out. "Excuse me" He said mockingly.

Showdown and Shellshock immediately took out their miniguns and opened fire on the Dinobots, the rest of the pirates joining them. Swagger had drawn a katana and tried to attack the Autobots from the side. He was aiming for Grimlock when Slash pounced on him. The pirate didn't stand a chance as the Velociraptor ripped him to shreds. The two larger Star Seekers were impaled by Slug's horns, their bodies tossed aside without a care. The remaining pirates tried to flee but were completely slaughtered before they had a chance to flee. The Dinobots transformed into their robot modes. They brought their weapons out and made their way to the next room.

As Grimlock tore down the door, they were greeted by more pirates. At the front were Front-Line and Firebreaker. This time, the Star Seekers were ready for them. But that did nothing to deter the Knights. "Dinobots! Slaughter them all!" Grimlock roared as he raised his mace.

Back in the command wing, Switchblade could still feel the shaking and the sounds of explosion. "What the slag is going on?!" He roared.

"We've lost contact with several squads! Our forces are being mowed down one by one! We were able to confirm that the intruders are the Vanguard Knights!" Anomaly said from the commander's side.

Switchblade's optics widened. "The ones that Lockdown had captured? Damn that mercenary to the pit!" He swore as he slammed his fists against the console. "Can we get a visual?"

A few seconds later, several holo-screens came up. Some showed the destroyed frames of Star Seekers. While others showed the Dinobots carving a path through the Star Seekers' forces. A few of the Cybertronian pirates were able to put a better fight than their comrades but were soon cut down as well. Sludge had impaled both Mismatch and Diabla with his lances while crushing Outsider beneath his feet. Slug had smashed aside Swagger before slicing Duststorm midsection, and then turning his attention towards Derail. Sparkscape was using his flamethrower, trying to fend off Scorn, only to get swatted by the Dinobot's whip before the large mech moved his attention towards Rampart and Hotwire. Pandemic was trying to crawl away from Snarl who was battling Ripraw, Triage and Overclock. Slash had cut down Conduit and Macro before engaging Drive-By.

Switchblade blinked his optics. There were two Dinobots missing. The flyer and their leader. "Where's Grimlock and Swoop? Did we lose track of them?" He asked.

His answer came when the door was slammed open. The hinges flew off, one impaling a pirate. Flying through next were Doubletake and Monsoon. Following them were Grimlock and Swoop. Meltdown tried to raise his plasma cannon but was quickly shot by Swoop. The Dinobot's metallic arrow impaled the yellow mech right through the head.

"To the Pit with you!" Switchblade roared. He pulled out a battle hammer and lunged at Grimlock. Anomaly joined him, firing at the Dinobot leader with his positron shotgun. Grimlock shrugged off the shots, focusing on Switchblade. Swinging his mace against the Star Seeker captain's hammer. Meanwhile, Doubletake and Monsoon managed to recover and got back up to engage Swoop. Astraea was busy trying to keep the warship in the air, even as sparks and smoke appeared everywhere.

Switchblade tried to land a powerful blow to Grimlock, but the knight's armor was just to strong. And despite his size the Dinobot was quite agile. It was making things extremely hard for Switchblade to fight properly. Swoop had already dealt with Monsoon and was now locking his blades with Doubletake's saws. From the back, the other Dinobots were finishing up with their own fights too. The former Decepticon wondered if he should just try and flee now.

His musings were broken when Grimlock smacked Switchblade's hammer out of his hands. The Star Seeker tried to pull out his laser pistols but the Dinobot smacked him into the wall, burying Switchblade under rubble. The Dinobot leader swung his flail out and brought it down on top of Astraea, smashing her on top of the consoles. Grimlock followed it up by swing his flail into Anomaly. The blow shattered the former Autobot's legs and had him hit the floor hard.

Swoop had also dealt with Doubletake, impaling him with his sword through the waist and chest. As he kicked the Star Seeker's body to the side, he and the other Dinobots nearly lost their balance when the ship began to dive. The Dinobot flyer looked at the consoles and saw that they were completely destroyed.

:Grimlock! You and your team need to get out of there now! I'm seeing red all across the board! That ship might explode before it crashes!: Gears shouted through the transmitter.

Growling, Grimlock looked at his team. "You heard him move-Agh!" Grimlock ordered before letting out a yelp.

The ship tilting had caused Grimlock to lose his footing. Thus, he slid towards the window with no time to grab onto anything. Grimlock crashed through the window and was now falling through the sky. He could feel the wind hitting his back as he fell. There wasn't even a small amount of floating debris for Grimlock to grab. Fortunately, Swoop had dived after him, transforming and grabbed his leader by his shoulders.

"Scrap, Grimlock! You're heavy!" Swoop commented as he managed to adjust his wings.

"Shut it!" Grimlock snapped. He wobbled as Swoop lost balance. "The slag, Swoop!"

"The wind up here is to strong! I can barely keep myself steady!" Swoop yelled.

Grimlock growled and adjusted his optics. Not far away, he could see the Autobots and humans fighting at the entrance of the ignition chamber. The sound of explosions and gunfire could be faintly heard. "Get as close as you can towards the others. I'm not sitting out of this fight yet!"

 **And there is part 2. I apologize for how long it took. I had to take my driving test (I passed) and get prepared for my next semester of college so I haven't had a lot of breaks. Anyway, I will get started on the third part so just bare it. Review!**


	16. Endgame Part 3

**The final part of the battle for Cybertron and Earth. Be sure to review!**

 **(Optimus's Team)**

Stratosphere was soaring through the air, moving past sections of Cybertron. Dragonstorm had been flying behind him but had to distract a squadron of Vehicon flyers from following the large Autobot. Riding inside the large Autobot were Optimus Prime, Nova Prime, Ramhorn, Evac, Cogman and Rewind. The group had moved even further up through the Earth's atmosphere, to the point that there was barely any oxygen.

:Optimus! I have a lock on what appears to be the core's entrance: Stratosphere reported to the Autobot leader. Inside, the giant Autobot projected a large screen for the occupants to see. The image showed a large, piece of debris, almost the size of the moon, surrounded by multiple smaller pieces. The image zoomed in on a specific spot, showing a large sealed doorway. On it were various ancient Cybertronian glyphs that appeared like the ones one the Allspark.

"That's it, Stratosphere! I recognize it from the holo-projections Alpha Trion." Optimus said. "How close can you get us there?"

:I can get you to the edge. The debris hanging around here is making it difficult for me to maneuver: Stratosphere responded.

"That will have to do." Optimus said as he readied his Vector Shield. Nova had taken out his crossbow while Rewind, Ramhorn and Evac readied their own weapons. Cogman had transformed into a larger version of his head while the Aston Martin transformed into a body that he attached to. "Be prepared. Though I do not think Quintessa was able to enter the planet's core, we should still be wary of anything." Optimus warned the others.

Stratosphere reached the edge of the planet. He then made a turn and opened the ramp door. Once it was fully down, the group jumped out. Due to there being no gravity, the five floated for a few seconds before they eventually touched solid ground. :I'm heading back and regroup with the others. Good luck you guys: Stratosphere said as he headed back to Earth.

Nova was staring at the remains of Cybertron in awe. He then turned his attention to the darkness of space, the millions of stars being the only thing that were alight. "Amazing…" Nova whispered. This was the first time he had ever been in space before. And Cybertron…even if it was in ruins, walking upon the world felt like he had come home.

The group began making their way towards the gate that led to the entrance of the planet's core. The door was massive, even larger than Omega Supreme. Upon close examination, it was covered in Cybertronian hieroglyphs and images of various people and objects. Optimus approached some of glyphs, brushing his hand against the metal.

"What do they say?" Wondered Evac.

"It appears they speak of Primus's tale." Answered Optimus. Old memories of Alpha Trion teaching him of the ancient language of the Primes coming back. "After destroying his arch-enemy and brother, Unicron, Primus transformed his body into the world we know as Cybertron. However, despite being victorious, Primus was left weakened from the battle. To regain his strength, Primus split a fraction of spark to that would form into a massive cube known as the Allspark. Leaving behind instructions to the Thirteen Primes, the first generation of Cybertronians were born. The Primes were gathered the energies of the sun to not just recharge the Allspark, but also restore Primus's power so he could continue providing Cybertron with life."

"I suppose when we sent the Allspark into space, we also hurt Primus too." Evac noted. He felt awful that they had left their creator in such a state.

"A problem we fix today." Optimus replied as he scanned the door for what looked like a way to open it. His optics then spotted several glyphs that were together. They were also the only ones that carved into the center of the door. Together they spelled, "Till All Are One". Placing a hand on the door, a light from both his spark and the matrix shined. The glyphs then glowed as well and slowly the doors moved outwards until they were fully opened. They revealed a deep passageway that seemed to go on forever. "Let's move" The Autobot leader ordered as the group proceeded to enter.

They had just gotten through the entrance when the sound of thrusters caught Nova's audio receptors. Turning around, his optics widened when he spotted a large shuttlecraft flying towards them. "Uh, Optimus?" Nova said, getting the Autobots' attention.

The large spacecraft bashed aside debris as it made its way to the gate. It immediately transformed into Thunderwing, who sneered as the smaller mechs. Bringing out his laser concussion blasters, the servant of Unicron opened fire on the Autobots. "Everyone! Move!" Optimus ordered as the group of five jumped out of the way.

"At last" Thunderwing said. "The entrance to the core. Now all that remains is the final piece." The large mech turned his attention to Nova. Said hybrid was stumbling to pull his energy crossbow out.

"No, you don't!" Cogman shouted as he leapt at Thunderwing. He brought his sword down and stabbed the larger mech between the neck, cutting some of the circuits there. Thunderwing growled as he tried to shake off the headmaster. Evac soon charged in, wrist-blades out and began hacking at Thunderwing's armor, leaving small dents. Ramhorn followed up by firing his hip missile launchers

Rewind ran up to Nova. The Minicon helped his best friend to his feet as Optimus joined them, firing his vector shield's cannon at Thunderwing. "Rewind! Get Nova Prime to the core! Hurry! We'll hold off Thunderwing!" Optimus ordered the small Autobot before running towards Thunderwing.

"But I-" Nova tried to say but was cut off by Rewind. "Optimus is right. You almost died once at the hand of that fragger. We can't risk you dying again." The Minicon said. With no other option, Nova and Rewind began running further down the hall.

Meanwhile, Thunderwing had finally managed to throw off Cogman and Evac and kicked aside Ramhorn. He was about to give chase when Optimus delivered a powerful kick to the larger mech's chest. Thunderwing staggered for a moment before bringing his right fist down on top of Optimus. The young Prime raised his shield and blocked the blow. "You Primes! Always getting in my way!" Snarled Thunderwing.

"I will stop anyone who is like you, Megatron or your Mistress Quintessa from slaughtering innocent lives, Thunderwing! No matter what it takes." Declared Optimus as he slashed at Thunderwing's arm.

Letting out what sounded like a snort, the large mech grabbed Optimus by the shoulder and threw him against the wall hard. As the Prime tried to balance himself, Thunderwing spoke, "Do you still believe that I am subservient to that foolish femme? Please, if it weren't for me, she would've never gotten back to Cybertron. No, my true master is, and always has been, Unicron! My sole purpose is to kill the Primes, just as I did with Omega, Zeta and Alpha Trion." Thunderwing declared.

Optimus's optics widened and his mouthplate opened slightly. "What…?"

"I needed the Prime of Life to get past the core's protective shell, as only his energy signature could open it. There I would extinguish Primus's spark to make room for my master's spark to take over once Quintessa finished her ritual." Explained Thunderwing.

"That's why you want her to transfer Earth's energy to Cybertron. You want to revive Unicron!" Optimus exclaimed.

"And kill Primus at the same time. As the humans would say 'killing two birds with one stone.'" Thunderwing said with glee. "However, that damn Alpha Trion and those two young Primes sealed the gate before I could enter, giving the talisman to awaken the Prime to that mech, Dion. Not even my power could bypass it." He added begrudgingly. "So, I needed a Prime to do it. And you did so perfectly."

The large mech's words made Optimus snarl. Getting up, Optimus swung his sword at Thunderwing, who merely slapped it aside. The young Prime followed with a blast from his Vector Shield, hitting the Unicron spawn in the face. Thunderwing stumbled back a bit and was unprepared when Evac got back into the fight, firing his wrist blasters at the large mech alongside Ramhorn. Cogman was also ready to go as he swung his sword at every bit of Thunderwing that he could reach. However, the herald of Unicron's armor was too durable for their attacks to leave any real damage.

Thunderwing grabbed Cogman's left arm and tore it off. Undeterred, Cogman rammed his sword into an opening between Thunderwing's leg joints, burying the blade deep. The large mech snarled as he rammed one of his concussion blasters into Cogman's chest. Firing a powerful shot, he tore the body in half. Fortunately, Cogman was not dead and he swiftly detached from the body, avoiding Thunderwing's legs. The Headmaster was picked up by Ramhorn who evaded Thunderwing's attacks.

The herald of Unicron was distracted when Optimus and Evac fired at him. Getting annoyed at these constant annoyances, Thunderwing activated his rocket launchers and fired. The proton blasts sent the two Autobots flying. Optimus managed to balance himself, however Evac crashed against the wall and hit the ground with a thud. Optimus had lost his sword and shield, and thus brought out his energon blades and charged. He slashed at Thunderwing, cutting the large mech's leg lightly. Snarling, Thunderwing grabbed Optimus's arms and tore them off from the elbow. Optimus didn't even get a chance to scream as Thundering delivered a powerful kick that sent the Prime tumbling across the floor.

Cogman was nowhere in sight and Thunderwing decided that eliminating them were less important than getting to the core. Looking at the unconscious Optimus one last time, Thunderwing said, "Be grateful, young Prime. By the time you come out of stasis Cybertron shall be reborn, as Unicron's new body. Perhaps he will be merciful and give you a swift death." With that, the large mech transformed and took off, flying deeper into the planet. He did not notice the glowing blue light emanating from Optimus's chest. Nor the grey blur approaching from the distance.

 **(With Nova Prime and Rewind)**

The duo had managed to excellent time thanks to Rewind using his jets to fly them to the planet's core. Obviously, the two were worried about their friends fighting Thunderwing. Yet, they also knew that everything depended on them reaching the core, so Nova could rejuvenate the planet. Though, Nova Prime had no idea how he was going to do that, it was better than the alternative.

Eventually Rewind had to land to conserve energy. By then, they had reached the end of the tunnel. When the they walked out, Nova and Rewind were shocked at the sheer size of the inner chamber that housed Cybetron's core. It was massive with a circular shape. Floors were covered with rust and debris as they led to the large casing that covered the spark. Even from where they were, the two could feel the energy being released from the core, even in it weaken state.

Getting back on track, Nova looked at Rewind. "C'mon. We can't waste time staring." Rewind nodded, and the two friends slid down a large nearby pipe. Landing safely on the platform, they headed towards what looked like the entrance of the casing. However, as they got closer, they were greeted with an unexpected sight. Lying against a pillar was the broken frame of a mech. Dried energon could be seen coming out of a wound near the spark chamber. The mech had blue and gold armor. His optics were lifeless as he leaned against the pillar.

"No way…" Nova Prime murmured, recognizing who this mech was from his memories. "Zeta Prime"

"One of the Primes born after the Thirteen? You mean to say he was safeguarding the core the entire time?" Rewind said in surprise.

"He must've sealed the entrance to the core, to prevent others from reaching here. Preparing it when the prophecy came to pass." Nova said as he rubbed his fingers against the edge of the hole in Zeta's body. "Looks like it was his final act." He added sadly.

Rewind put a hand on Nova's arm, getting his attention. "C'mon. We need to finish what he started." The mini-con said. Nova nodded as the two made their way over to the platform's edge. Towards the core's casing, which was covered in various ancient Cybertronian glyphs.

There they could see what appeared to be a small podium that had an empty slot in it. It looked just the right length as the blade of Excalibur. Nova realized that he is supposed to insert the blade into the hole to reach the core. Pulling out the sword, Nova gripped the handle with both hands and plunged the sword into the opening. While the blade fit through easily, nothing happened. The two waited for a minute, then another and another, yet nothing happened.

"What the hell?" Nova muttered as he searched for any changes but could find none. "Why isn't anything happening? I accepted by Cybertronian heritage, my Prime name. So why is nothing happening?!" Nova exclaimed, frustration and fear building up inside of him as he felt powerlessness fill him.

Rewind was about to console his best friend, when the sound of engines got both of their attention. Spinning around, the duo saw Thunderwing fly into the chamber and transformed. He landed hard onto the platform, just several feet away from them. Without warning, the giant mech raised one of his concussion blasters, and fired a powerful laser beam at the core. When the beam hit, an energy shield briefly appeared and deflected the laser with ease. Seeing this made Thunderwing snarl before turning his attention towards Zeta Prime's body.

"Even in death, you Primes continue to defy the inevitable." Thunderwing mocked. His optics shifted to Rewind and Nova. "Looks like I'll be needing a 'key' after all."

Rewind got in front of Nova. The mini-con pulled out his laser carbine. "Get back, Nova. Keep trying to open the pathway to the core. I'll hold him back for as long as I can."

"What? No! We'll fight together!" Nova declared as he pulled out his energy crossbow.

"Don't be stupid! If he gets you, then it's all over." Rewind argued. "I just need to hold him back until reinforcements arrive. Now, go!" The mini-con activated his thrusters and shot towards Thunderwing. He fired his laser carbine at the larger mech, hitting him in the face. Growling, Thunderwing tried to grab the drone, only to miss as Rewind zoomed around him.

Nova frowned, wanting to help but knew that Rewind was right. Turning his attention back to the sword, the young Prime tried to get the mechanism to work. He tried pulling the sword in and out, as well as other methods that might work. As Nova did this, Rewind continued firing at Thunderwing. His attacks were doing no damage, but they were getting the larger mech's attention. Rewind would use thrusters to zip around his opponent, as well as the pillars to take cover or jump off to escape Thunderwing's hands.

Unfortunately, Thunderwing appeared to have finally lost his patience and released a powerful stream of flames from his mouth. The flames blocked Rewind's path and the immense heat from it caused him to back away. Thunderwing took advantage of that and swiftly grabbed Rewind. The large mech's grip was tight, and Rewind could feel his body being crushed. Ignoring the pain, Rewind saw Nova Prime, no, Adam Nova, staring at the scene with a look of horror. In those few seconds, memories of the time Rewind had spent with Adam came flooding back. All those joyful times, even after the Chicago Battle, gave the mini-con the courage he needed to aim his laser carbine at Thundering's face. Charging the weapon for one last time, Rewind fired directly at the large mech. The power of the blast was enough to leave a large burn mark of Thunderwing's cheekplate. "Till all are one." Rewind said as his body and spark were destroyed in one strong squeeze.

"REWIND!" Nova cried as he watched his life-long friend be killed. Thunderwing unceremoniously tossed the pieces that once made Rewind to the side, sending them plummeting to the depths over the platform. Only the laser carbine remained, smoke coming out from the barrel.

A roar caught Thunderwing's attention. Flying out of the tunnel was Dragonstorm, with Optimus riding on his back. The Prime's body was glowing blue, along with showing a pair of new arms.

"What?! Did the Matrix repair your arms!" Thunderwing exclaimed when he saw the damage he had caused now fixed.

Optimus did not answer him. Instead he jumped off Dragonstorm and landed a powerful punch to Thunderwing's face, causing the large mech to stagger a little. Optimus pulled out his Sword of Judgment and Vector Shield while Dragonstorm let loose a torrent of flames on the servant of Unicron. Optimus joined him by firing his Ion Blaster, hitting Thunderwing back. With the Matrix energizing him, the Prime's attacks were doing some actual damage to the large mech.

Meanwhile Nova Prime was still in a state of shock. He just couldn't comprehend that Rewind, the mini-con who had been with him all this time, was dead. Everything they had been through ran through his mind, as Nova's shock and grief slowly turned to anger. And it was not just anger he felt inside of him, something else was beginning to stir in the hybrid. Electricity danced around his fingertips before surging around his whole body. His rage reaching the boiling point, Nova let out a cry of anger.

"AAAAHHHH!" Nova screamed as he released a burst of electricity that surprised the others. Nova magnetically called the laser carbine to him. The moment his fingers touched it, the weapon merged with Nova's right arm. With the cannon now under his control, Nova fired a powerful electric blast at Thunderwing. The blow was enough that the large mech was knocked off his feet.

Optimus was amazed at Nova's power. "Is this the true power of the Prime of Life?" Optimus whispered.

An electromagnetic field suddenly surrounded Thunderwing, lifting him into the air. "What! Electromagnetism manipulation?!" He cried in shock at the display of Nova's new power. Struggling, Thunderwing tried to break free, but the electrical pulse that the field released was disrupting his systems. He even tried firing Cyclone Cannon. But all that did was backfire on him and damaged him instead.

"Get. Off. Our. Planet!" Nova roared as he launched Thunderwing out of the chamber. As if shot out of a cannon. The momentum was so great that Thunderwing couldn't give any resistance at all. All the large mech could do was cry in rage as he was sent flying into space, sailing far, far away from Cybertron.

With Thunderwing now gone, Nova Prime turned his attention back to Excalibur. Feeling a new sense of determination and confidence, he gripped the handle with both hands. Energy surged out of his body and across the weapon down into the podium itself. In response, a bridge extended from the platform towards the core's casing. The casing opened a doorway for Nova to enter as he walked across the bridge.

Optimus Prime, Dragonstorm and the just arriving Ramhorn, Cogman and Evac watched as Nova Prime entered the core, the entrance closing behind him. A few seconds later, the core and the entire chamber lit up as it was brought to life. A soft hum could be heard throughout the area as energy surged outwards. And though they could not see it, the Autobots could feel Cybertron slowly repairing itself.

Evac was the first to break out of his amazement. "Optimus. I got word from Magnus. They're pinned down outside the Ignition Chamber. If they can't stop Quintessa in time…" The young knight trailed off.

Optimus nodded and looked at Evac. The young Autobot was clutching his wound from Thunderwing's attack and had to be supported by Ramhorn. Neither they nor Cogman were in any condition to fight. "Will you three be okay here?"

"We'll manage, sir." Evac said. "I won't let Rewind's death be in vain." Ramhorn let out a huff of air as if in agreement.

"I shall protect lord Nova with my life." Cogman said determinedly.

Seeing their resolve Optimus turned to Dragonstorm. Without even speaking, the combiner roared as he flapped his wings. Optimus Prime put his sword and shield onto his back and jumped on Dragonstorm. The duo took off as Cybertron began to heal around them.

 **(Outside the Ignition Chamber)**

The battle there had reached a stalemate. The ground was littered with Decepticon protoforms and Vehicons. The Decepticons themselves still held their ground. With the turret assisting them, the Cons had effectively pinned down the Autobots and their human allies. Tidal Wave had also joined the fight. The Con was the same size as Omega Supreme had was firing his chest and shoulder mounted laser turrets as well as back shoulder-mounted concussion rocket launchers. He would fire his arm-mounted ion plasma cannons every now and then. The explosions were cornering the humans and Autobots.

Said groups were not doing so well at the moment. They were heavily pinned down by the Decepticon's fire. Along with Whirl being killed, Arcee, Smokescreen, and Cliffjumper were injured and taken to the side placed near a small hill that shielded them from Decepticon fire. Ratchet and Jolt were tending to them while Trailbreaker was protecting them with an energy shield. Bob and Steeljaw were protecting the injured humans as medics treated them, the latter firing his back-mounted heavy machine guns and grenade launchers at any Con or drone that got to close. Sometimes firing his photon cannon concealed in his mouthplate. Above, the Autobot flyers were fending off the Vehicon flyers. Fortunately, most of the Decepticon Seekers were busy keeping Omega Supreme occupied as Tidal Wave fired at him from a distance. Defensor had been fighting both Bruticus and Menasor, but was relieved of the latter when Stratosphere appeared, tackling the combiner.

Magnus fired his Neutron Rifle, downing another Tank Vehicon before dodging fire from Cons. Beside him Ironhide shot his shell cannons at Hailstorm and Blackout, forcing the Cons back. "We are not making any progress here!" The Weapon Specialist yelled.

"That gun emplacement is what's causing all the trouble." Magnus responded. "It keeps the flyers away from assisting us and prevents us from advancing."

Back with the humans, they were still taking cover in the crater. Izabella flinched whenever an explosion occurred nearby. Cade and Viviane were with her as the soldiers fired back at the Decepticons. They were using heavy weaponry such as grenade launchers and machine guns. But that did little to deal with the situation at hand.

Epps crouched back down as he reloaded. "This is the shit!" He complained.

"Yeah, complete bollocks!" Graham agreed. "Those bloody Cons are keeping us away from the chamber and that damn gun is hammering us hard."

"We're running low on ammo!" Zack shouted as he fired his rifle. Beside him, Hooch fired his last rocket before discarding the launcher and switching to his assault rifle.

Eddie fired explosive rounds from his LMG, destroying a Vehicon's legs while Zimmerman fired his sniper rifle through the drone's optics. The piercing rounds destroyed the drone's processor. Meanwhile Perkins was helping a wounded soldier's leg which had been singed by a stray plasma round. "Our men aren't going to hold out much longer!" Stone cried as he fired a mortar shell. A Decepticon Protoform was destroyed by the impact of the shell hitting him.

More explosions filled the air as Lennox and Santos scrambled towards them while Burke and Fig covered them. Lennox slouched beside Epps and Graham. "We need to evac, now! General Morshower says they're calling in the nukes on the ignition chamber." Lennox said.

"What? Did they not hear what Perceptor said?" Cade exclaimed. "The chamber goes down, all of Cybertron hits Earth!"

"We're out of options. If we don't do anything we lose the entire planet." Replied Lennox, though it was obvious that he wasn't pleased with the plan either. But so long as they were pinned down, they had little options.

That's when the debris they were on started to move and make a sound. All the fighting stopped as energy surged across the cables. Slowly, the pieces of Cybertron began coming together. However, unlike before, they did not collide violently, but instead merged carefully. The chunks of the planet that had run across the Earth began to rise up, joining together just like others.

Magnus immediately contacted the _Axalon_. "Wheeljack! Perceptor! What's going on?"

:Magnus! We're reading massive energy surge coming from Cybertron's core. Optimus's team did it! Nova Prime is healing our world!: Wheeljack exclaimed with joy.

:However, it appears that the energy Quintessa is transferring is conflicting with the energy from the core. If you don't stop the transfer sequence then Cybertron will explode, taking Earth with it!: Perceptor warned.

"Autobots! We need to push forward! Focus fire on the turret and take it out!" Magnus ordered as he fired his shoulder rockets.

Meanwhile while both sides were duking it out, Sqweeks had made his way to the gun emplacement. The only Con near it was Mohawk, and his attention was the battle below. Slowly the Autobot rolled over towards the turret's generator. Using his Decepticon arm Sqweeks was in front of the generator, just as one of the guns noticed him. Mohawk also spotted the Autobot but Sqweeks moved faster.

"Frag you" Sqweeks said as his arm transformed into a large plasma cannon.

Mohawk gaped at the weapon. "Ah slag." He muttered right as Sqweeks fired his weapon. The blast's recoil sent Sqweeks tumbling down the hill as the gun emplacement was destroyed. Mohawk had managed to jump out of the way.

The reaction was instant. With the gun emplacement gone the Autobot flyers performed a dive and did an air strike. They killed several Decepticons and Vehicons. Stratosphere had finally gotten the advantage over Menasor, ripping off Drag Strip and Dead End. The two Cons were forced to transform, followed by Motormaster, Breakdown and Wildrider. Before the Stunticons could retreat Wingblade transformed and landed in front of Breakdown and Dead End.

"Get sliced, punks!" Wingblade yelled as he revealed his arm blades. The two Stunticons had no time to react as the large Autobot sliced them in half. The last three Stunticons were about to retreat but Highbrow intervene. Powering up his Gatling Guns, the veteran performed a lethal air strike, gunning down the three Cons.

"Now that's how you get it done!" Highbrow cheered before focusing on Divebomb.

Wingblade decided to remain on the ground as he activated his forearm-mounted plasma rotary cannons and fired at Bruticus. The Decepticon combiner spun his propeller blades to deflect the bullets. But seeing as the Stunticons were now dead, and Stratosphere approaching him, Bruticus decided to retreat to friendly lines. Pushing aside Defensor, the Combaticon combiner fled quickly. With their adversary gone, Defensor detached back into his components.

"You guys okay?" Wingblade asked.

"We're fine." Hot Spot said as he got up. The rest of his team did the same, but Rook wobbled a bit until First Aid let him lean on him. "But it looks like Rook is a little beat up from Bruticus's flamethrower."

"Fall back to the rear. We'll join the others in pushing forward." Wingblade said, Stratosphere nodding in agreement.

Seeing how they could do better there than at the front, Hot Spot nodded and helped guide the others. Stratosphere and Wingblade covered them as the two flyers joined the other Autobots.

"All Autobot flyers! Fire at Tidal Wave! Keep him away from Omega Supreme!" Prowl ordered, firing his SMG.

:Copy that! Engaging the big one!: Springer replied as he, Tomahawk, Skyhammer and Blazemaster focused their attack on Tidal Wave. They released bullets and rockets on the transformed Aircraft Carrier.

"Tidal Wave. Destroy." Tidal Wave said in a monotone voice as he focused his attention on the flyers.

Back with the other giant Cybertornian, Omega Supreme could now give the Seekers his undivided attention. Focusing his wings and chest-mounted plasma blasters, the Autobot fired at the flyers. The Seekers were surprised by this but were able to maneuver and avoid the attacks. Though two of them were not so lucky. Acid Storm and Nacelle were taken down, the latter being struck in the thrusters and crashing violently against the ground. Acid Storm took a hit to a wing but was able to control himself. However, that left him wide open for Omega Supremes' right arm photon laser cannon. The powerful beam vaporized the Con in seconds. By then Starscream and the others had pulled back.

With Sqweeks, the small Autobot came rolling out of the smoke. He fired his cannon again, hitting a Vehicon in the leg while getting himself back up. Hot Rod rolled beside him, firing his Photon Blaster at the same drone, killing it. "Good job, little friend!" Hot Rod complimented Sqweeks.

"Humans!" Magnus yelled at the soldiers. "Fall back! We'll push on from here." He then looked at Omega. "Omega Supreme! Transformed and escort them and our wounded out of here!"

"Orders: Confirmed" Omega replied before transforming into his vehicle mode. The ramp opened soon after.

"Go! Get moving!" Lennox shouted as he scrambled to his feet. The rest of his team did the same as they did a dash towards the Ark.

"Move! We got ya covered!" Hound yelled as he and the other Autobots fired at the Decepticons. Hot Rod snatched Sqweeks and passed him off to Streetwise. Ratchet helped up Cliffjumper. Guzzle came to help him, shooting down two Orbital Assault Fighters with his Proton Machine Guns and back-mounted Ion Cannon, before carrying Smokescreen. Clocker was behind him, firing both of his foremarm built in plasma cannons at the Decepticons. Steeljaw ran past them, carrying some of the wounded human soldiers on his back. Trailbreaker was near them, still deflecting oncoming projectiles while the remaining Protectobots fired their photon guns. Warpath was the last to follow, firing both his right-mounted X18 Scrapmaker Gatling Gun and right-mounted Thermo Rocket Cannon. Skyhammer joined him, firing both his dual forearm-mounted missile pods before switching to his right forearm mounted plasma rifle. He also dished out his left forearm mounted energon sword when a Decepticon protoform tried to ambush him, slicing the Con in half vertically.

Above, Tomahawk had transformed while staying in the air. Releasing his shoulder mounted concussion rockets and left-forearm mounted fusion revolver cannon, the Autobot fired down at the Cons, slashing an aerial Vehicon that tried to attack him with right-arm mounted buzzsaw. Blazemaster was beside him, the larger Autobot releasing his shoulder-mounted corrosive gel missile launchers. He would deflect attacks with his wrist mounted rotor blades, and then fire his forearm mounted Ion blasters. Multiple Vehicons were immediately destroyed by the Autobots' firepower. Once the area was clear, the Autobots began falling back. Warpath, however, paused as he picked up Whirl's corpse before following the others.

Elita and Chromia helped up Arcee. "Take her with you and get out of here." Elita told her sister.

Chromia took their younger sister, looking at the eldest in surprise. "What about you?" The blue femme.

The purple femme readied her photon cannon. "I'm staying here with the others. I have business with Quintessa." Elita-One growled out.

Knowing what her sister meant, Chromia nodded and rolled off to the Ark. "Stay alive!" She cried back.

Izabella was running with the other humans. However, since she was smaller she was moving slower than the others, causing her to lag behind. That allowed one Con, Terradive to cut her off from the others. Screaming, Izzy fell on her butt as the Con laughed. "Ha! Gotcha, fleshling! The Autobots ought to back down with you as a hostage."

However, Terradive would not be able to carry out his plan. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker zoomed towards him, avoiding his attacks. The silver twin slashed at Terradive's side, making the Con roar in pain. He tried to strike Sideswipe with his spear, but was intercepted by Sunstreaker who blocked the attack and then disarmed the Con with his pulse pistol. He then fired at the Con's kneecaps, forcing him to his knees. Defenseless, Terradive could do nothing as Sideswipe rammed his swords into his head and ripped it off.

Sideswipe looked at Izzy. "You okay kid?" The silver mech asked.

Izzy nodded. "Y-yeah."

Bob came over and helped the girl climb onto his back. "Let's get you to the ship while we deal with the rest of the-WHOA!" Sunstreaker sentence was cut off as the ground beneath them began to crack. The crack spread until it split the floating piece of land in half. Unfortunately, that separated the Autobots, leaving Hound, Bumblebee, Hot Rod, Prowl, Ironhide, Mirage, Jazz, Sideswipe, Longarm, Drift, Salvage, Magnus, Inferno, Jolt, Wingblade, Armorhide, Stratosphere, Elita, Skids and Mudflap on the side where the Decepticons were.

Megatron saw this and ordered his troops. "The Autobot's forces have been separated. Advance and gun them down!" He then looked at a large white Con who was firing a plasma cannon. "Jetstorm, attack the Ark and destroy it! Do not let the Autobots escape!" Megatron ordered, firing his Fusion Cannon and hitting Salvage in the back. The red and orange Autobot cried out in pain as he fell on his front, clutching his wound. His friend Longarm immediately came to his aid.

"With pleasure, Lord Megatron!" Jetstorm shouted. He transformed into an Antonov An-225 Mriya and took off.

He flew over the Autobots, ignoring their attempt to stop him. The Decepticon took aim at the Ark, which was still waiting for the humans to finish boarding. The Autobot flyers tried to intercept him, but the Decepticon flyers got in their way.

Jetstorm was about to fire when a massive stream of flames struck him form above. The sheer heat caused his thrusters to combust and the large Con could only scream as he was sent falling through the clouds. Surprised, Megatron looked up and saw the source of the flames.

Izzy did as well from her position on Bob's back. "Optimus…" She whispered when she saw the Autobot leader riding on Dragonstorm's back. Realizing his presence meant that Adam had succeeded in powering the core, the girl let out a cheer. "YEAH!" She cried as Dragonstorm flew over her.

Infernocus focused his cannons on the dragon, firing as Dragonstorm neared him. Optimus jumped off the combiner and slid across the ground. Meanwhile, Dragonstorm struck Infernocus, knocking the demonic gestalt off his feet before taking into the air and pursuing the Decepticon flyers. That gave Optimus time to get behind Infernocus. The gestalt tried to stomp him, but the Prime dodged it before latching onto the larger mech's back. "You piece of filth!" Optimus snarled as he stabbed his sword into Infernocus's body.

Unable to shake off Optimus, Infernocus split apart into the six Infernocons, who immediately took out their weapons. Undeterred, Optimus raised his sword and blaster. "Did you forget who I am?" He asked rhetorically.

Roaring, the six Infernocons attacked. Three charged at the Prime with their swords and axes, while the other three raised their plasma cannons. Reacting faster, Optimus fired his Ion blaster, destroying three demonic Cybertronians from afar. He then performed a full swing, decapitating the last three Infernocons. "I am Optimus Prime." He declared as the bodies fell.

Turning towards his troops, Optimus raised his sword and pointed forward. "Autobots! Attack!" He yelled.

Invigorated by their leader's arrival, the Autobots followed his lead. Joining them was Grimlock, who Swoop had just dropped off. The Dinobot leader transformed into his T-Rex mode and roared as he followed the others. Any Decepticon or Vehicon that got in their way were killed as the Autobots powered on through.

Optimus than noticed that Viviane was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Viviane?" Optimus shouted. Without her, they would not be able to get the staff and end the transfer.

"The humans fell back! They're on the other side of the gap!" Ironhide shouted over the sound of his cannon fire.

On said piece of land, Crosshairs pulled out his machine pistols. "C'mon! Let's follow them!"

"Negative! The surrounding debris is drawing closer together as Cybertron heals. We need to leave, now!" Ratchet said as he passed Smokescreen to Brawn, who helped his comrade aboard the Ark. The medic looked at Stratosphere. The large Autobot had chosen to help Longarm and Savage, the latter who was still injured. "Stratosphere get Salvage and Longarm out of there and follow us back to the _Axalon_!"

"Wait!" A voice cried. Running up to the medic were Cade and Viviane. "We need to get to the other side, so we can get the staff. Viviane is the only one who can pull it out, remember." Cade said.

Ratchet frown. He knew that Cade was right, however, as he said before the other floating pieces of Cybertron were beginning to gather together. It was at that point that the other Autobot flyers had to fall back without being crushed. The only other way for the two humans to get to the other side was…

"Get on my hand." Ratchet ordered, kneeling as he opened his palm. They did as he said. "And brace yourselves!" He shouted as he threw the two humans at Stratosphere. Seeing them the large Autobot saw what Ratchet was doing. Stratosphere caught the humans and then placed them on the ground, allowing Viviane and Cade to head towards the ignition chamber.

Back with the Decepticons, they had fallen back since the Autobots began their second advance. Because of the shifting, many of the Decepticons had been separated. Tidal Wave was forced to transform to escape being crushed, with some of the others climbing aboard. That just left Megatron, Nitro, Barricade, Shockwave, Starscream, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Rumble, Fracture, Blackout, Kickback, Thundercracker, Scowl, Cyclonus, Bludgeon and Straxus to guard the Ignition Chamber.

Optimus fired his Ion Blaster when his scanners picked up two organics approaching. Turning around, the Prime saw Cade and Viviane. "Viviane! This way!" He shouted over the gunfire.

"Yes! My little lady!" Hot Rod cheered as he covered the humans.

As the Autobots were reaching the chamber's entrance, a missile zoomed through the air and struck the cables that held the chamber. The cables snapped, and the entire chamber began falling. Despite that, electricity was still coursing from the _Steelhaven_ to the chamber and then towards Cybertron. The now purple lightning collided with the blue lightning from Cybertron's core.

The chamber began to tip, and everyone lost their balance. Viviane and Cade were sent sliding and were nearly killed by a broken pillar if not for Optimus who purposely slammed into the pillar, knocking it aside. He was then engaged by Blackout, the large Con tackling Optimus. Not to far away, Prowl had gotten into a wrestling match with Kickback. The Con pulled out a blade and tried to stab Prowl through the spark. But the lieutenant dodged the blade and then bashed his shield against Kickback, knocking the Decepticon off him. Taking out his Neutron SMG, Prowl fired at a nearby cable that was about to break. He fired his weapon, snapping the cable off and sent it swinging right into Kickback. The Decepticon had no time to react as the large cable struck him hard, damaging his optics and faceplate. The impact sent him flying out of the chamber, and since he was not a flyer, Kickback was sent plummeting to the ground all the way below.

Eventually the chamber started to stabilize but still descended. Everyone soon got back up and the battle continued. All the Decepticons appeared to have been split between guarding Quintessa and attacking Viviane, knowing that she alone can stop the process. Thus, the Autobots focused on attacking the Cybertronian sorceress and protecting the humans. Shockwave attempted to shoot them, only to be intercepted by Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Mirage, the trio attacking with guns and blades. Seeing his older brother in a fight, Nitro Zeus tried to go over and help. But Skids fired his grappling hook and snatched it onto the Con's waist. With him and Mudflap tugging on the line, Nitro Zeus fell on his back.

Cade and Viviane were running across the chamber, avoiding Cybertronians and blaster fire. Hot Rod made sure to stay by their side. "Stay with me, I'll clear the path!" Hot Rod said as he fired at Megatron. The Decepticon leader was between the humans and the staff, determined to not let them succeed.

"You see it?" Cade asked as he helped Viviane lean against a fallen statue.

Viviane nodded as she watched Jazz and Hound join Hot Rod in fighting Megatron. The saboteur fired his shield blaster at Megatron, distracting him. Megatron fired his cannon at Jazz only to be tackled by Hot Rod and Hound, the former punching the Decepticon leader in the face. Jazz grabbed Megatron by the back of his neck, firing his blaster. The three Autobots managed to pull Megatron out of the way as Cade and Viviane dashed towards the staff. Seeing them, Megatron grabbed Hot Rod and Jazz, tossing them aside before kicking Hound across the room, nearly crushing Viviane and Cade. Megatron raised his axe-sword and prepared to bring it down on the Autobot commando.

"Stop the time!" Hot Rod shouted as he fired another temporal bolt. Megatron lost his grip on the sword as he was caught in a time bubble.

Recovering, Hound raised his minigun. "Gonna fill ya full of holes, Megatron!" Hound shouted, firing bullets that were stopped by the bubble. When the bubble dispersed, the bullets hit Megatron so hard he was sent crashing into the wall. Megatron recovered and fired back, forcing Hound to dodge but left the Decepticon opened to Jazz's attack, dividing the Decepticon leader's attention.

"Decepticons! Stop those humans!" Megatron roared.

Scowl tried to trample Cade and Viviane but was tackled out of the way by Grimlock. "Your mine now, traitor!" Grimlock roared as he smacked his former comrade in the face with his tail. Scowl snarled and rammed into Grimlock, who merely hit back with his horns. Grimlock proved stronger as he sent Scowl back. In response, Scowl transformed, bringing out a large shield and a hammer. Grimlock followed and waved his flail at Scowl, hitting the traitor's shield. Straxus then tried to take a shot at the humans, but was forced back when Inferno let loose a stream of flames from his arm-mounted flamethrowers.

Fracture was facing against Magnus along with Soundwave. She slammed her foot down, releasing a powerful seismic wave that caused the floor to shake. Magnus lost his footing, allowing Soundwave to land a blow to the Autobot's face. Staggering, Magnus received a kick to the back from Fracture. The two were about to attack again, but Magnus was able to recover and pulled out his hammer and forced them back.

"Magnus! Duck!" A voice from behind shouted. Recognizing it, Ultra Magnus bent down, revealing Ironhide with his Heavy Irons out. Before the Decepticons could react, Ironhide fired explosive rounds from his Battle Rifles, knocking Fracture and Soundwave off their feet.

Fracture got up and readied her energy blaster. She was about to fire but was struck by electricity coming from Jolt's volt cannons. The Decepticon femme jumped out of the way and fired at the junior medic, who avoided it and engaged Fracture. While that was happening, Ironhide fired his shell cannons at Soundwave, while Elita fended off Laserbeak and Rumble, preventing them from helping their master. Magnus took the chance to run off to fight Shockwave.

Said one-optic Con was still battling the three Autobots. Bumblebee would fire from a distance along with Sideswipe, who would switch to attacking with his blades along with Mirage. Shockwave growled as he waved his blade arm at the Autobots, while trying to aim his AstroMag cannon. He fired particle wave after particle wave, each blast forcing the Autobots to move. Mirage rammed his wrist blade into Shockwave's back, trying to uncut the cord attached to his cannon. Unfortunately, Shockwave reacted quickly enough and grabbed Mirage. "Your target was logically obvious." He said as he threw the red mech at Sideswipe, knocking both to the ground.

Bumblebee charged at Shockwave, jumping and slamming into the larger mech's chest. Shockwave stepped backwards, right into Magnus's line of sight. Powering up his hammer, Ultra Magnus landed a powerful blow onto Shockwave. The impact, sending the purple mech flying out of a wall.

"Big bro!" Nitro cried as he watched his brother being hit. Snarling, Nitro grabbed Skids and Mudflap, who were banging the Decepticon's armor, and tossed them aside. Running past Magnus, Nitro transformed and flew after Shockwave.

In another part of the chamber, Drift was dueling his former mentor, Bludgeon. Their swords clashed as the two mechs glared at one another. "I see that you have not let your skills dull since your defection, Deadlock!" Bludgeon commented.

"As I said before, I am no longer that mech." Drift replied angrily, pushing Bludgeon back. "However, my skills are greater now that I have a true cause to fight for."

"A cause? Ah, I have that too, Deadlock." Bludgeon said as he fired his electric canon. Drift managed to dodge the shot and pulled out his other sword. "I too, have a cause. And one I intend to live to see, in all its glory once my master returns."

Drift was confused by what Bludgeon meant but brushed it aside as he continued to duel with his former mentor. From the corner of his optics Bludgeon saw the humans were almost to the staff. He pushed back Drift with his foot, the Decepticon fired his cannon at them. He would've hit if Barricade hadn't slammed into him, ruining his aim. Armorhide stood over them as he fired his plasma pulse cannon at them. The two Decepticons were able to avoid the explosive energy projectiles. Barricade fired his Gatling gun at the Autobot, while Bludgeon took that moment to escape.

"Wait!" Drift shouted. He was tempted to go after the Bludgeon, though decided that dealing with the larger threat was more important.

Elsewhere, Wingblade threw Starscream across the chamber and then fired at Thundercracker. The blue Seeker brushed off the attack before bringing out his axe, his weapon clashing against Wingblade's blades. Wingblade pushed him off him and slashed Thundercracker across the chest. Hissing, the blue Seeker fired his left-arm Plasma Cannon, firing at Wingblade who raised his arms to block it. Starscream got up and fired his missiles, hitting Wingblade in the back and nearly hitting Thundercracker. "Slag it, Starscream! Watch it!" Thundercracker roared as he fired his plasma cannon.

"Quite whining and kill him!" Starscream yelled as he fired his minigun at Wingblade.

This time, Wingblade dodge their shots and slashed Thundercracker across the chest. "Don't think that you can take me down like that!" The taller mech exclaimed as he kicked the blue Seeker back. Morphing his hands into his plasma rotary cannons, Wingblade fired at the two Seekers. Starscream and Thundercracker dodged the barrage of plasma bolts as they continued firing, slowly moving closer to each other, which was what Wingblade wanted. Retracted his cannons, his back shifted and revealed a pair of Ionic Pulse Launchers. Charging up, Wingblade fired at the Seekers, the pulse missiles struck Starscream and Thundercracker hard. The impact even caused the wall behind them to be destroyed.

The two Seekers managed to recover. However, after seeing how that staying here would be a death wish, Starscream decided to flee. "Frag this! I will not die here!" The grey Seeker yelled as he transformed and flew off.

"Starscream! You fragging coward!" Thundercracker cursed as he watched this, deciding to retreat as well.

Wingblade huffed, disappointed that the fight had ended like that. "They give fliers a bad name." He muttered before going to help Prowl against Cyclonus and Straxus.

Quintessa snarled as she continued the transfer. She could feel the power coming from Earth going to Cybertron. And yet, she could feel the planet resisting it, resisting her. And now there was another force fighting back and at the same time restoring Cybertron on its own. She would not accept it, she wouldn't! Quintessa had given too much to get this far; her mentor and master, her position, everything to get here and complete the destiny she deserved, the Prime of Life.

She spotted Viviane going for the staff. Snarling, Quintessa said, "Megatron! Kill her!"

Megatron threw off Jazz when Quintessa yelled. He aimed his Fusion Cannon at Viviane. He was going to fire when he saw Optimus lunged at him, Sword of Judgment raised. He would've lost his arm, but Megatron dodged it and then grabbed the blade. Twisting Optimus's arm, Megatron pinned the Prime against the floor. The two former comrades glared at one another.

Memories flooded through them as their optics stared at each other. How the two fought alongside one another to unify Cybertron's tribes after the Dynasty's fall. The victories and defeats they shared until they had managed to power the Allspark and restore Cybertron. All of that eventually leading up to them becoming the leaders of their home, earning the trust of their fellow Cybertronians. Perhaps these memories are what compelled Megatron snarling, "We were brothers once!"

Optimus frowned under his mask. The war had cost them everything, from their world to their race's very survival. Even if Optimus revealed the deception of Quintessa and Thunderwing's plan, he knew that Megatron would not believe him. The former Lord Protector had been filled with arrogance and rage for far too long, corrupted by the Fallen. " _Once_ " Optimus said before flipping Megatron over him. He then followed it up with a strong kick to the Decepticon leader. The blow sent Megatron crashing through the wall of the chamber.

"Lord Megatron!" Blackout cried, having finally gotten out of the debris Optimus buried him under. Fracture also joined him as the two raced to save their leader.

Optimus let them go, seeing how stopping Quintessa was more important. However, the gravitational field around the chamber became unstable. Gravity was lost as Cybertronians, humans and debris began floating. Viviane, who had just grabbed the staff, lost her grip and started floating away from it.

"Optimus!" Elita cried as she tried to reach her sparkmate. A large mass of debris nearly struck her, but Optimus pushed it back before grabbing the purple femme.

"Ah! Id's zero gravity, man!" Skids yelled as he tried to grab onto something. He grunted when his brother crashed into him. "Yo! Watch id, fool!"

"U watch id, dumbazz!" Mudflap shouted and the two began wrestling.

Hound was waving his arms and legs as he passed by Cade. "I'm weightless! Weightless!" He bemoaned as he reached for his weapons.

Bumblebee, seeing how the staff was not removed, landed on Cyclonus' back, freeing Prowl who had been grabbed by the Con. He immediately blew off the Con's head before using the momentum and launched himself at Viviane's. Cyclonus' corpse knocked into Scowl, who was pushed towards Grimlock. Unprepared, Scowl could not prevent Grimlock from grabbing the traitor's head and pulling out Scowl's spark. Satisfied that the traitor was dead, Grimlock tossed the body aside and grabbed Sideswipe and Mirage.

Back with Bumblebee, the yellow mech used his foot to lightly kick Viviane upwards towards Cade. Seeing her coming towards him, Cade grabbed Viviane's hand and with a nod, threw her towards the staff. Straxus, who used his pick-axe to keep himself balanced, saw Viviane going to the staff. Lifting his other arm, the mech took aim with his machine gun. Before he could fire, Hot Rod tackled him. "No! You will not hurt the lady!" Hot Rod said as he wrestled with the mech.

The two mechs slammed against a floating piece of debris, Straxus hitting it with his back. Hot Rod shot off and fired a time bolt at the mech, freezing him in place. The debris slowly spun around as it headed for the chamber's walls. When Straxus was freed from the time hold, he could only widen his optics as he was crushed between the wall and debris.

Optimus leapt at Quintessa, sword at the ready. "Quintessa, get off our planet!" Optimus roared as his blade struck the femme. It hit a force-field around the sorceress, disabling it and knocking Quintessa away from the staff. The femme snarled as she shot lighting from her fingertips at Optimus, holding him back.

"Traitor!" Quintessa yelled.

Optimus glared at her. " _I_ am the traitor? You murdered Quintus. Helped the Fallen and brought the fall of the Dynasty. You claim to be the Prime of Life, but the true Prime has already begun restoring Cybertron without destroying the Earth. You are nothing but a liar, schemer and a fool!"

"Silence! I will hear no more of this!" Quintessa screeched. She intensified the power of her lightning, charging up for an energy bolt.

Optimus grunted but held firm. "Let me say one more thing. Say hello to my sparkmate: Elita-One!"

On cue, said femme rolled up behind Optimus's back. Photon cannon at the ready, Elita fired at Quintessa with a fully charged blast. The projectile sent Quintessa flying, screaming as she disappeared in a dispersion of blue dust.

Elita-One grabbed onto a nearby pillar. She had a satisfied look on her face. "Nice meeting you, bitch." The purple femme said.

Viviane gripped the staff with both hands. With a strong tug, she pulled the device out of the machine. Outside, the black electricity receded back into the Earth. This was seen by the Autobots and humans, who had landed the ships a safe distance away from the fallen ignition chamber. They watched as the chamber crashed with the ground, dust filling the air. Everyone waited with baited breaths. Suddenly, a large roar came from the dust cloud. A second later, Wingblade flew out of the cloud with the rest of the Autobots driving behind him, Grimlock in his T-Rex mode. Cade and Viviane were riding inside Optimus who was at the front.

Cheers filled the air, their voices loud enough for the entire island to hear. When Cade got out Izzy immediately hugged him. Though surprised, Cade returned the hug. The Autobots also held their own reunions, cheering over their survival and victory against the Decepticons. Dragonstorm flew above them, all three heads roaring before separating into the twelve Guardian Knights. Above, Cybertron finished its recovery, now whole once more. It was now twice the size as Earth and glowed a bright blue light, like a newborn star. Suddenly the radios came to life.

:Hello? Any Autobots receiving?: Evac asked.

"Evac! We read you loud and clear. What's your status up there? Is everyone alright?" Optimus asked.

:Oh thank Primus. We got worried when we saw the chamber falling: Eva replied. :Anyway, everything is OK up here. The planet is 100% ready for inhabitants. Nova is getting ready to move Cybertron to a more stable position:

"Understood, Evac." Optimus said before ending the transmission. "Magnus take the _Ark_ and go pick up the refugees in Cuba."

"Yes, Prime." Magnus replied before heading towards said ship. Some of the others joined him.

"Autobots!" Optimus said to the gathered Cybertronians. "It is time for us to go home."

 **And there! Second to last chapter completed. This took a lot out of me. Be sure to give lots of reviews!**


	17. A Bit of Peace

**Here's the epilogue you all wanted! Enjoy and review!**

 **(Iacon, Cybertron)**

Optimus stood inside Hall of Records, gazing at datapad. Much of it had been restored when Nova had finished reviving Cybertron. Furthermore, a chamber near the core had been found filled with back up datapads of Cybertronian's history. Optimus had a feeling it was Alpha Trion's doing, his final attempt to preserve their peoples' past. The Prime had gone through each of them before cataloging them into their new homes.

It had been about two Earth months since the battle and the restoration of Cybertron. The Autobots on Earth were quick to return home, before the Decepticons or anyone else tried to lay claim to the reborn planet. Surprisingly, the first city to be repaired was Iacon, the former capital of the Autobots during the war. The buildings there were rebuilt and brand new, as if they were never in ruin to begin with. Though some were still without power but slowly charging up. As for Energon, it was gushing out like water from a broken dam. There was so much that the Cybertronians were having trouble collecting it all.

While the majority of the Autobots were working on fortifying the city, small teams under Magnus's command had been dispatched to explore the rest of the planet, to find any other energon reservoirs that might be sprouting up. Others were working at the starport, welcoming new arrivals. Since Optimus's message of Cybertron's restoration had gone out, refugees were pouring in every day. Some came on their own, small groups or in large spaceships. Many of them were Autobots, while others were Neutrals or Decepticons defecting. Regarding the latter, many had followed under Megatron because they feared him. However, after hearing how Jetfire, Drift, even Wheelie and Brains, had gone over to the Autobot's side, these Cons also decided to do the same. It was also clear that they were tired of fighting and simply wanted to return home. Given the shortage of hands and that there was a lot of work to be done, the Autobots figured that accepting them was the best course of action. Plus, Optimus believed that it would invite other Decepticons to defect too.

Regarding Earth, much was being done to repair the relations between the humans and Autobots. Many of the world leaders had demanded compensation for the damage Cybertron had done around the planet, such as access to Cybertronian technology. America was the loudest in this group of people. Nova silenced those voices when he revealed the atrocities that Cemetery Wind had done to both species, causing citizens to protest against the American government for allowing the rogue CIA unit to commit such acts. It was a rather cruel move, but many of the Autobots, Prowl being especially vocal, saw that it was necessary play in order to gain hasten peaceful resolutions in their favor. Secretary Keller supported him and was quick to confirm the videos and that measures were being taken to ensure such a thing never happened again. Starting with the disbanding of TRF and reactivating NEST.

As for the Decepticons who survived the battle, Optimus had dispatched what flyers he had available to scout the Earth. However, after two weeks of searching, they had found no sign of them. The Autobots and NEST had managed to locate their hidden base in Russia, but it had been cleaned out. The only plausible explanation was that the survivors had somehow fled Earth after their defeat. Wheeljack hypothesized that Tidal Wave had been used as transportation to carry them off world. Prowl then suggested to set up sentries around Cybertron in case Megatron decided to attack.

Rewind, Dion, Jetfire, Whirl, and Zeta Prime were the first Cybertronians to be given official burials on the planet. There had been attempts to resurrect Whirl, but the damage caused by Infernocous were too severe to be repaired. Optimus believed it was the best honor that could be given to them. Sadly, little of Rewind's remains could be found. All that could be recovered was his hand and laser carbine. The latter Nova kept as a memento from his fallen friend.

"Optimus" A voice snapped the Prime out of his thoughts. Turning his head, the Autobot leader saw Prowl standing at the entrance. "Magnus's team has returned from their scouting trip." The lieutenant reported.

Optimus nodded and put away what he was reading. The two made their way out of the building and onto the streets. They quickly transformed and drove off towards the HQ. They passed by Cybertronians who were hard at work. Though much of the city had been restored thanks to Nova, there were still many things that required manual labor. :By the way, sir. Were you looking up information on Unicron?: Prowl asked as they made a turn.

:Yes. I'm hoping that Alpha Trion left something about the Chaos Bringer: Optimus replied. Information on Unicron was still being restricted between the Autobots and humans, with only Cade, Viviane and Lennox knowing how Earth's core was the giant Cybertronian. Since learning of this, Optimus had studied everything on the Chaos Bringer. Unfortunately, there was little information on him. The only definite thing Optimus had learned was that Unicron could produce Dark Energon, corrupted variant of energon. When used, it could reanimate the dead into Terrorcons or give power to the living at the cost of putting them under Unicron's thrall.

Optimus and Prowl arrived at what use to be the Citadel for the High Council that had ruled Cybertron alongside Optimus and Megatron. It was now Autobot HQ. Autobots were going in and out of the large building, which was one of the few structures with full power and completely operational. Guards were stationed, being commanded by Armorhide at the time. Some of the Autobots greeted the Prime, Optimus greeting them back, while others at work. Optimus and Prowl boarded an elevator and headed towards the top floor. When they arrived, several officers including Ultra Magnus were already present. They were surrounding a large round table while looking at a holo-map.

Magnus turned around when he heard the elevator door open. "Optimus" He said, greeting his commander.

Optimus nodded as he and Prowl approached the table. "What's the status on your latest findings, Magnus?" Optimus asked.

"So far we've found at least three more Polities that have enough power that we can start moving people into. However, I think we should hold off on that until we have more security detail." Magnus replied.

Optimus nodded. "True. Most of the refugees that have arrived are civilians. And we can't risk spreading out too much until the automatic sentries are fully operational. What else?"

Magnus pointed at specific spots on the image. "We've also discovered several large reserves of Energon. I'm having Roller take the _Axalon_ to mine them and bring them back to Iacon."

"Good. Though we have a steady supply for now, with more Cybertronians coming in we'll need more." Optimus said. The Autobot commander turned towards Perceptor and Wheeljack. "What's the status on your end?"

"Regarding the sentries, we have about 64% of them online." Wheeljack said. "Also, with the low number of flyers we have, I'm trying to repair as many of the recovered Assault Carriers as I can. I suggest we try and add armaments to the spacecrafts that the refugees came in."

Optimus nodded. One of the advantages that the Decepticons had in the war was their larger number of flyers. Aerial power would be needed to defend Iacon until defenses were better placed. Speaking of the Decepticons, "We've still been unable to locate Megatron and his remaining forces?"

"No, we've still had no luck." Prowl reported. "Some of the defectors said that Shockwave had set up a base on a moon in this system, but don't know which planet it orbited. But with most of our forces focused on protecting Iacon and working on repairs, sending out search parties is ill-advised. We've also had no luck finding Thunderwing after Nova Prime jettisoned him off Cybertron, or the mech Jihaxus that we confirmed was working with Quintessa, especially with that clone of yours, sir. He was nowhere during the battle or on Cybertron at all."

"Do we have any data on Jihaxus?" Optimus asked.

"Very little. According to our findings, he used to be a scientist back during the Dynasty of the Primes. However, after the fall he disappeared." Perceptor said. "I'm still searching through any database as well as going over whatever was retrieved from the Ignition Chamber. Besides, that I have nothing else."

The Prime sighed. "Then we'll just have to keep our optics opened." Optimus said. "And those on Earth?"

Even with Cybertron's restoration, some Autobots had decided to remain on Earth for different reasons. Most of which was that some had developed close bonds with the humans there. Landmine continued living with Simmons and Dutch, the former having regain his mansion and former popularity. Camshaft had gotten close with Leo, and the two had moved back to America to work as ambassadors for the Autobots. Bumblebee, Wheelie, Brains, Evac, Cogman, Sqweeks and Canopy were naturally staying with Cade Yeager and Izabella Yeager, who had been officially adopted by Cade. Bumblebee and Wheelie would also pay visits to the Witwickys, telling stories to the toddler Daniel Witwicky about his parents.

As for Ironhide, he retook his role as the Lennox family's guardian. From what Optimus had heard, the moment the weapon specialist and Colonel Will and arrived at the family farm, a tear-stained Annabelle had all but jumped into Ironhide's large hands. The mech also met the young Aaron Hyde Lennox too. The toddler had become attached to Ironhide as much as Annabelle had at that age. He would even cry if he was separated from the Weapon Specialist for too long. Chromia had decided to stay with the Lennox family as she did not want to be separated from Ironhide anymore, something Optimus and Elita could relate.

"Relations are improving somewhat. There have been many who knew of our effort to save their kind and are supporting a truce with us. Some are still pushing for access to our technology under the claim to better defend themselves. However, those voices are few thanks to Nova Prime's video." Prowl said. "Details of an ambassador are still at work and we have yet to receive word of one being selected. Though Nova Prime did receive an invite from Cade Yeager. Something called a barbeque? Several other Autobots are invited as well, you included sir."

 **(London, Earth)**

When Burton had passed away, his will had revealed he would leave everything to Adam. That included his family's castle and surrounding property. Nova decided to allow his new family to live there too, and thus became the residence of Cade Yeager. And with his fugitive status now gone, Cade could finally reunite with his daughter, Tessa. Also living there now were Izabelle, officially adopted into the Yeager family, Jimmy and Viviane, Cade's fiancé.

Presently, Cogman was preparing tables, chairs, a grill and other items for the upcoming barbeque, with help from Evac and Canopy. Sqweeks was at the front entrance of the castle, keeping an optic out for Bumblebee to return. With Cybertron restored, Cade now a free man and the world back to the way it was, Yeager thought it was a good idea to celebrate. Sure, it was a little odd thing to do, given how much work still remained and the Decepticons were still on the loose, but Cade figured it be good just to kick back and relax.

Nova Prime was here, in his human form. He was sitting above the castle gate, looking out at the front road. With him was his now girlfriend Izabelle. It was clear to the Autobots and humans the two young teens were attracted to one another. Guess it took the near end of the world to make them realize their feelings for one another.

"So, what's it like? Being able to turn into a Cybertronian?" Izzy asked.

"Still feels weird." Nova replied. He raised his left arm and watched as it was soon covered in metallic substance. "It stills feels like my own body. But that just what makes it so weird, because its metal." Adam then magnetically lifted up an empty soda can, tossing it into the trash bin down below. "Though have electromagnetic powers is pretty cool." Both teens laughed at the comment.

Suddenly a car engine could be heard approaching. Driving down the path was Bumblebee. It parked near the castle's entrance. Stepping out were Cade, Tessa and Tessa's boyfriend, Shane. The two young adults waved at the teens before unpacking their luggage from Bumblebee's trunk. Once everything was out, the yellow mech transformed and headed off to help Evac for the upcoming barbeque.

A few hours later the rest of the people came. Epps and Lennox brought along their respective families. Ron and Judy had also come, having been invited by Cade, and brought their grandson too. Others were Simmons, Dutch, Leo and the close members of NEST. For the Autobots there was Cogman, Evac, Sqweeks, Canopy, Wheelie, Brains, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Arcee, Chromia, Optimus, Elita-One, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Hot Rod, Hound, Drift, Crosshairs, Jazz, Landmine, Salvage, Longarm, Wheeljack, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Kup, Jolt, Skids, Mudflap and the Wreckers.

Soon the celebration barbeque was underway. Epps was carrying bowls of ship and nachos. He passed by Figs who was at the grill, working on some meat. "Man, those had better not be crocodile." Epps said to the Hispanic. "I don't want my kids eating crocodile."

"First off amigo, its alligator meat, not crocodile. Big difference. And second, its chicken meat. Bajate de mi espalda." Fig responded back causing the two to argue now.

In another part, Annabelle was hanging out on Ironhide's shoulder, Aaron safely in her arms. The weapon specialist had several empty energon cubes beside him. With him were Chromia and Hound, the latter showing the young human girl his triple-barrel minigun.

"So, compared to Hide's cannons, which one can do the most damage?" Annabelle asked the commando. She smiled when her baby brother squealed at the mention of 'cannons'.

Hound took out his cigar. "Well, I won't deny that that Hide can do some pretty damage with those cannons. But my baby here can tear a Con apart in ten seconds flat!" Hound said as he patted his minigun.

Ironhide snorted. "Yeah, after using a hundred bullets. I just need one or two shells to put any of Megatron's goons down."

"That's because it's a difference in size of ammo!" Hound argued back.

"Oh brother." Chromia rolled her optics as she watched her sparkmate argue with the commando some more.

The rest of the party members were interacting. Ron and Judy were sitting beside one another. They shared a glass of wine as they watched Bumblebee, Wheelie and Brains tell Daniel stories of his parents. Their grandson was captivated by the deeds his mom and dad did with the Autobots.

Epp's only son was playing around with Bob, the boy having taken a shine to the Insecticon. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were keeping an eye out to make sure Bob didn't hurt the boy. The sergeant's four daughters were looking at the sparklings that the Autobots had brought. Elita-One and Arcee were there to supervise as the young Cybertronians were inspecting their human counterparts. From a distance were Sarah Lennox and Epp's wife, Monique Epps, keeping an eye on their kids. The two mothers were also talking with Viviane about her engagement with Cade.

Lennox and Simmons were discussing topics related to NEST with Landmine sitting with them, content just to listen. Specifically, about changes need to be put in place now that the Autobots had their homeworld back. Despite that, they two were enjoying the festivities with other NEST soldiers and Autobots. The soldiers played fetch with Steeljaw along with the Wreckers, while others were trying out the new outdoor basketball court installed. Leo was talking to Skids and Mudflap, the young man catching up with the two troublemaker twins. He also got along with Jimmy. Surprisingly, even Santos had been invited. But the man seemed to prefer sitting to the side, not yet comfortable being around the Autobots. Still, he also seemed to be relaxed and would greet anyone who spoke to him.

Optimus stood to the side, taking in the sight of Autobots and humans conversing with one another again. After Cemetery Wind, the Prime had feared that tensions between the two races would never fully heal. And his mood was lightened further now that Cybertron was fully restore. His attention shifted when he spotted Cade walking up to him.

"Enjoying the party, Prime?" Cade asked.

"It is a comforting sight, yes." Optimus replied. "To be honest, I had long since lost hope of ever bringing Cybertron back to life. Seeing it now, though, I feel as if this tragic war may finally come to an end soon."

Cade nodded, smiling as he watched Tessa converse with Izabella. The older girl seemed to have gotten quite attached to her new little step-sister. "Megatron is still out there, though. And there's Unicron too."

"True, we've still a long way to go. But after everything that has happened, I believe we can face it when that time comes." Optimus replied confidently as the two continued watching the party.

 **(Saturn's Moon, Titan)**

After the battle, almost all the Vehicon drones and a quarter of the Decepticons had been lost. Among the survivors were Shockwave, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Rumble, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Sunstorm, Ramjet, Thrust, Dirge, Slipstream, Fracture, Stockade, Wreckage, Nitro Zeus, Mohawk, Onslaught, Brawl, Swindle, Blast Off, Vortex, Incinerator, Barricade, Blackout, Flatline, Storm Surge, Mindwipe, Bludgeon, Payload, Astrotrain, Dirt Boss, Lugnuts, Blitzwing, Tidal Wave, Hailstorm, Space Case, Blademaster, Divebomb, Long Haul, Ransack, Tankor, Overcast, Brimstone, Sideways and of course Megatron.

They were all busy. Using the crashed warship, the _Nemesis,_ as their base, the Decepticons were either tending to their wounds, moving equipment or guarding the perimeter. The _Nemesis_ had crashed onto Titan centuries ago when the Fallen and an army of elite Decepticons had gone out to search for the Matrix and Sun Harvester. However, it had met unexpected events and crashed on the moon.

Now, it was being used a base for the Decepticons, as the moon had much resources that could be converted into energon. New Protoforms were also being grown and what metal was available was producing Vehicon drones. Some Decepticons were guarding the perimeter while others were at work making sure the base stayed operational.

In the room that used to be the command center, Megatron sat on a destroyed chair. Surrounding him were his officers, Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream, Fracture, Onslaught, Dreadwing, Stockade and Blackout. None of them said a word, not even Starscream. They could tell that Megatron was in a very, _very_ , bad mood.

After what seemed like an eternity, Megatron spoke. "What is the current status on Cybertron?" He asked.

"According to latest recon, the planet has been restored. However, Earth has not been destroyed." Soundwave reported.

Shockwave added, "Though much of the planet is still barren, the energon flowing from the planet's core, is slowly repairing the damage cities and energon reservoirs are beginning to appear. The Autobots are using the _Axalon_ to retrieve the energon and have made Iacon their capital and base once more. Furthermore, refugees of Autobots and Neutrals are constantly pouring in. There are also several Decepticon defectors with them too."

Megatron growled at the last part. He would deal with them in due time. "Do we have enough to mount an immediate assault?" He asked Blackout.

The large Con bowed his head. "Apologizes Lord Megatron. Our forces have been greatly diminished since the battle on Earth. Our current standing forces are not enough to assault Iacon, which is already heavily fortified."

That did little to soothe Megatron's anger. However, he was a patient mech. He had waited this long to revive Cybertron. He could wait a little longer to reclaim what is rightfully his. "Very well. We shall focus on increasing our forces. Soundwave, continue monitoring both Cybertron and Earth. Shockwave, you and Flatline try to find a method to give us an edge. Also, all troops are to be given a restriction on energon supplies. Failure to follow that will be met with harsh discipline. I will leave that in your hands, Blackout. I want flyers under Starscream and Dreadwing's command to search the nearby planets and moons for any other usable resources for energon."

The Decepticons bowed their heads and excused themselves. That just left Megatron and Fracture in the command room. The femme stood by her master's side as the Decepticon leader gazed at the distant stars.

"Has there been any sign of Quintessa?" Megatron asked finally.

Fracture shook her head. "No, my lord. However, I doubt she survived the crash." She said.

"Don't underestimate that witch. She wouldn't have survived this long without a trick or two." Megatron slammed his fist against the chair's armrest. "She'll pay for deceiving me. Right after I reclaim Cybertron."

 **(Edge of the Solar System)**

Flying towards a small moon was Thunderwing. Having survived Nova's attack, the servant of Unicron had fled Earth after the plan to transfer Unicron's essence into Cybertron had failed. As he flew closer to the moon, the mass of rock's image began to fade and was replaced by a metallic one. A small doorway leading into the structure opened for Thunderwing to fly through. A few seconds later, the large mech landed in what appeared to be a vast chamber containing innumerous glowing purple pods. At the center of the chamber was a floating platform with four figures there. One of them was Jhiaxus, having escaped Cybertron when the Autobots managed to enter the ignition chamber. The other three Cybertronians were demonic looking. Two of them were shorter, with retracted wings on their backs. The one named Drancon was colored bottle green, magenta, orange and tan, while Rartorata had orange, grey and red chassis. The third was called Elphaorpha. He was larger and bulkier than the others, that he reached Thunderwing's elbow, with horns attached to his shoulders. His plates were indigo dye and azure color. Like Thunderwing, they also had purple optics. These were the Blentrons, other servants of Unicron who served under Thunderwing.

Jhiaxus turned his attention from the console he was working to look at Thunderwing. "Well, it appears that you have arrived, Lord Thunderwing. Seeing how Cybertron has been restored, the plan was a failure."

"Be silent, Jhiaxus." Thunderwing growled. "You live only because you are useful to us. What is the status of the Terrorcons?" He demanded as he looked at the pods.

"Good, very good. The lifeless shells of these Cybertronians have been completely filled with Dark Energon. Once I start my modifications, they will be even more powerful!" Jhiaxus laughed. "We're fortunate that Megabolt's large mass blocks their unique signatures."

"So long as they follow orders, than the rest is extra. With our initial plan ruin, we will have to move onto plan B in order to revive Lord Unicron. Blentrons!" Thunderwing bellowed as he turned his attention to the three demonic Cybertronians. "Do you have it?"

The Blentrons got to one knee. Elphaorpha lifted a spherical-shaped container. "It is here my lord. Though Zeta Prime hid it well, we were able to locate and retrieve the device." The Blentron said.

The contained began to open, retracting halfway. Once it was done, its contents levitated upwards. It was a purple crystal sphere pulsing with energy held in a dark grey hollow metal shell. The object floated into Thunderwing's waiting hands. The herald of Unicron gazed at the dark artifact with sinister glee. "The Dark Spark. The antithesis of the Matrix of Leadership. This is what we need to revive our god. This and…"

Pausing, Thunderwing turned around. Jhiaxus flipped a switch and suddenly a large pod, larger than the others, was lowered. Once it reached their level, the pod opened. Steam poured out and finally revealed a mech's body inside. The form was covered in tentacle-like tubes that fed it Dark Energon into its body. On the center of the chestplate of the mech was a scratched symbol of the Dynasty of Prime.

"The body of Omega Prime. Unicron will be revived and even more powerful." Thunderwing laughed.

Several miles outside Thunderwing's base was a floating small battleship with thrusters at the back. Inside the ship was Quintessa. She had sparks popping out of her body, and energon coming out of some small wounds. However, they were slowly healing as she looked through the force shield that kept out the vacuum of space. The disciple of Quintus Prime frowned as she looked at the artificial moon.

"So, that is what happened. In the end, Thunderwing was merely using me." Quintessa cursed as she floated through the room. "Nevertheless, I will not stop. I've gotten to close to stop now. I will destroy Unicron and take my place as a Prime and ruler of Cybertron, to bring balance back to the Cosmos. Even without the Decepticons' help." She looked forward. "Gnaw. Contact your brethren and take us out of this system."

"As you command, Mistress." The ship replied as the engines began to power up. "What shall you be doing then, if I may ask?"

Quintessa smiled. Resting her chin on her hands, she looked off at the vastness of space. "Preparing, Gnaw. Preparing." She said as the battleship took off.

 **Thus, the Last Knight: Altered has ended. Next will be the Transformers/Avengers crossover…if people want it. Anyway, leave a review!**


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